How to become a Switchboard Operator
Official title: Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service
Also called: CBX Operator (Computerized Branch Exchange Operator), Central Communications Specialist, Communications Operator, Communications Specialist, Information Specialist, PBX Operator (Private Branch Exchange Operator), Switchboard Operator (SB Operator), Switchboard Receptionist (SB Receptionist), Telecommunications Clerk, Telecommunications Operator
Operate telephone business systems equipment or switchboards to relay incoming, outgoing, and interoffice calls. May supply information to callers and record messages.
Main tasks
- Operate communication systems, such as telephone, switchboard, intercom, two-way radio, or public address.
- Answer incoming calls, greeting callers, providing information, transferring calls or taking messages as necessary.
- Greet visitors, log them in and out of the facility, assign them security badges, and contact employee escorts.
- Monitor emergency and code alarms, make emergency announcements, or route emergency calls to the appropriate location.
- Record messages, suggesting rewording for clarity or conciseness.
- Page individuals to inform them of telephone calls, using paging or interoffice communication equipment.
- Relay or route written or verbal messages.
- Perform various cash handling tasks, such as collecting payments, making bank deposits, or managing petty cash.
How to become one
Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Median pay: $38,630 a year The middle half earn $34,820 to $46,530.
- About 35,400 people work in this job now, and about 26,200 are projected by 2035. (-26%)
- People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.
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Questions people ask
How much does a Switchboard Operator earn in the US?
Median full-time pay is $38,630 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $34,820 to $46,530.
Is a Switchboard Operator a growing career in the US?
Employment is projected to fall 26% by 2035, from about 35,400 to about 26,200 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Do you need a degree to become a Switchboard Operator?
Usually not. Only 19% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Will AI change the work of a Switchboard Operator?
People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.
Sources
- Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.