How to become a Switchboard Operator
Also called: Telephone Operator
Operates telecommunication switchboards and consoles to assist callers to establish telephone connections and receive caller enquiries and fault reports.
Main tasks
- Operates switchboards and consoles to connect, hold, transfer and disconnect telephone calls
- Responds to caller enquiries by providing information such as telephone numbers, dialling codes, call costs, time delays and service difficulties
- Investigates operating system problems and informs maintenance services
- Alerts emergency services when required
- Records details and determines charges for designated types of calls
- May monitor the efficiency of systems and maintain service sampling records
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- About 2,900 people work in this job group now, and about 3,000 are projected by 2035. (+1.6%)
- Many tasks in this job could be automated by AI. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as high.
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Questions people ask
Is a Switchboard Operator a growing career in Australia?
Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 2,900 people now and 3,000 later (Jobs and Skills Australia).
Do you need a degree to become a Switchboard Operator?
Usually not. Only 13% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Will AI change the work of a Switchboard Operator?
Many tasks in this job could be automated by AI. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as high.
Sources
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Occupation data (ANZSCO), from ABS Labour Force and Census (February 2026), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Generative AI Capacity Study, interactive table data (September 2025), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Employment Projections (Victoria University) (May 2025 to May 2035), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
- Australian Taxation Office: Taxation Statistics, Individuals Table 15A (2023-24), CC BY 2.5 AU, retrieved 2026-10-04
Updated 2026-10-04