Pay by state · 47 states
Switchboard Operator, Including Answering Service Salary by State (2026)
Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service earn the most in Hawaii at $59,860 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $24,960 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $38,630. All 47 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $59,860Hawaii
- National median
- $38,630BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $24,960Puerto Rico
- States reporting
- 47of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Switchboard Operator, Including Answering Service salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of switchboard operators, including answering service OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HIHawaii | $59,860 | $47,900 | $64,910 | 410 | $54,442 |
| 2 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $54,700 | $47,510 | $61,580 | 230 | $49,772 |
| 3 | CACalifornia | $48,840 | $41,600 | $65,600 | 6,680 | $44,111 |
| 4 | WAWashington | $47,800 | $41,040 | $52,870 | 430 | $44,667 |
| 5 | MNMinnesota | $47,430 | $42,970 | $55,530 | 200 | $48,093 |
| 6 | NYNew York | $45,330 | $38,430 | $54,480 | 1,760 | $42,003 |
| 7 | NHNew Hampshire | $44,210 | $39,300 | $47,410 | 100 | $42,442 |
| 8 | MAMassachusetts | $43,790 | $38,550 | $48,260 | 830 | $41,406 |
| 9 | COColorado | $43,720 | $39,650 | $45,900 | 320 | $42,425 |
| 10 | MEMaine | $43,350 | $39,940 | $45,680 | 100 | $44,668 |
| 11 | ILIllinois | $42,660 | $38,330 | $46,150 | 1,240 | $42,678 |
| 12 | VTVermont | $42,630 | $40,220 | $46,320 | 70 | $43,519 |
| 13 | NJNew Jersey | $40,430 | $38,080 | $47,340 | 660 | $37,158 |
| 14 | AZArizona | $40,380 | $37,970 | $44,320 | 380 | $40,108 |
| 15 | WIWisconsin | $40,030 | $38,180 | $46,040 | 550 | $42,542 |
| 16 | RIRhode Island | $39,850 | $37,140 | $47,020 | 130 | $38,962 |
| 17 | GAGeorgia | $39,490 | $36,070 | $43,710 | 780 | $41,010 |
| 18 | KSKansas | $38,760 | $36,390 | $42,920 | 180 | $43,034 |
| 19 | NCNorth Carolina | $38,520 | $34,180 | $43,420 | 690 | $40,837 |
| 20 | IAIowa | $38,400 | $36,600 | $42,580 | 210 | $43,755 |
| 21 | CTConnecticut | $38,380 | $35,100 | $50,450 | 180 | $37,043 |
| 22 | NVNevada | $38,070 | $34,220 | $42,570 | 650 | $38,078 |
| 23 | IDIdaho | $38,000 | $33,280 | $38,770 | 70 | $39,793 |
| 24 | NMNew Mexico | $37,710 | $34,650 | $44,320 | 220 | $40,895 |
| 25 | AKAlaska | $37,690 | $34,300 | $40,630 | N/A | $36,821 |
| 26 | KYKentucky | $37,590 | $35,050 | $41,370 | 370 | $41,693 |
| 27 | NENebraska | $37,570 | $35,250 | $41,130 | 180 | $41,697 |
| 28 | WVWest Virginia | $37,430 | $30,870 | $41,080 | 110 | $41,823 |
| 29 | MIMichigan | $37,390 | $34,910 | $40,400 | 370 | $38,860 |
| 30 | MOMissouri | $37,130 | $34,820 | $39,460 | 640 | $40,884 |
| 31 | MDMaryland | $37,080 | $35,800 | $41,720 | 650 | $35,328 |
| 32 | PAPennsylvania | $36,890 | $28,890 | $41,760 | 1,350 | $37,808 |
| 33 | INIndiana | $36,860 | $32,080 | $42,830 | 380 | $39,495 |
| 34 | VAVirginia | $36,730 | $34,420 | $40,200 | 610 | $36,329 |
| 35 | OHOhio | $36,350 | $33,230 | $38,900 | 990 | $39,181 |
| 36 | MTMontana | $36,270 | $35,310 | $40,810 | 110 | $38,322 |
| 37 | DEDelaware | $35,980 | $31,200 | $41,900 | 180 | $36,049 |
| 38 | LALouisiana | $35,890 | $28,330 | $39,060 | N/A | $40,688 |
| 39 | TNTennessee | $35,550 | $30,150 | $38,870 | 680 | $38,696 |
| 40 | FLFlorida | $35,410 | $33,370 | $37,800 | 3,090 | $34,241 |
| 41 | ARArkansas | $35,290 | $31,090 | $39,040 | 260 | $40,593 |
| 42 | OKOklahoma | $35,280 | $31,470 | $37,440 | 480 | $40,163 |
| 43 | SCSouth Carolina | $34,010 | $30,780 | $37,500 | 480 | $36,278 |
| 44 | TXTexas | $33,620 | $29,160 | $37,010 | 3,640 | $34,639 |
| 45 | ALAlabama | $32,210 | $30,160 | $34,510 | 680 | $36,263 |
| 46 | MSMississippi | $30,520 | $27,420 | $34,980 | 200 | $35,099 |
| 47 | PRPuerto Rico | $24,960 | $22,060 | $30,340 | 560 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service, that changes the ranking: Hawaii leads on raw pay at $59,860, while Hawaii leads once prices are taken into account at $54,442.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Switchboard Operator, Including Answering Service pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service the most?
Hawaii reports the highest median wage for Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service at $59,860 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by District of Columbia ($54,700) and California ($48,840).
Which state pays Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service the least?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service at $24,960 a year, $34,900 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Hawaii first at $54,442 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $59,860. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.