Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service Salary
The median pay for a switchboard operators, including answering service in St. Louis, MO-IL is $37,870/year ($18.21/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $44K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.09), that's roughly $39,825 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,218/month, about 47.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $38K get you in St. Louis?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by St. Louis’s Regional Price Parity (95.09). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About switchboard operators, including answering services
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What this looks like in St. Louis
Switchboard operators, including answering service pay in St. Louis tracks closely to the national median, $38K locally vs. $39K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,218/month, which is 46.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 95.09) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for switchboard operators, including answering services in metros near St. Louis, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | $41K | $45K |
| Columbia | $34K | $38K |
| Springfield | $37K | $42K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $45K | $43K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, St. Louis, MO-IL
Entry-level switchboard operators, including answering services (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $44K or more, a $10K spread from bottom to top.
Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $60K | +55% | 410 |
| District of Columbia | $55K | +42% | 230 |
| California | $49K | +26% | 6,680 |
| Washington | $48K | +24% | 430 |
| Minnesota | $47K | +23% | 200 |
| New York | $45K | +17% | 1,760 |
| New Hampshire | $44K | +14% | 100 |
| Massachusetts | $44K | +13% | 830 |
| Colorado | $44K | +13% | 320 |
| Maine | $43K | +12% | 100 |
| Illinois | $43K | +10% | 1,240 |
| Vermont | $43K | +10% | 70 |
| New Jersey | $40K | +5% | 660 |
| Arizona | $40K | +5% | 380 |
| Wisconsin | $40K | +4% | 550 |
| Rhode Island | $40K | +3% | 130 |
| Georgia | $39K | +2% | 780 |
| Kansas | $39K | +0% | 180 |
| North Carolina | $39K | -0% | 690 |
| Iowa | $38K | -1% | 210 |
| Connecticut | $38K | -1% | 180 |
| Nevada | $38K | -1% | 650 |
| Idaho | $38K | -2% | 70 |
| New Mexico | $38K | -2% | 220 |
| Alaska | $38K | -2% | N/A |
| Kentucky | $38K | -3% | 370 |
| Nebraska | $38K | -3% | 180 |
| West Virginia | $37K | -3% | 110 |
| Michigan | $37K | -3% | 370 |
| Missouri | $37K | -4% | 640 |
| Maryland | $37K | -4% | 650 |
| Pennsylvania | $37K | -5% | 1,350 |
| Indiana | $37K | -5% | 380 |
| Virginia | $37K | -5% | 610 |
| Ohio | $36K | -6% | 990 |
| Montana | $36K | -6% | 110 |
| Delaware | $36K | -7% | 180 |
| Louisiana | $36K | -7% | N/A |
| Tennessee | $36K | -8% | 680 |
| Florida | $35K | -8% | 3,090 |
| Arkansas | $35K | -9% | 260 |
| Oklahoma | $35K | -9% | 480 |
| South Carolina | $34K | -12% | 480 |
| Texas | $34K | -13% | 3,640 |
| Alabama | $32K | -17% | 680 |
| Mississippi | $31K | -21% | 200 |
Showing 1–10 of 46 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track switchboard operators, including answering service salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when St. Louis numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a switchboard operators, including answering service afford a 2BR apartment alone in St. Louis?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 46.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,218/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for switchboard operators, including answering services in St. Louis?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new switchboard operators, including answering services typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,058/month. At HUD’s $1,218/month FMR, rent would take 59% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is switchboard operators, including answering service a high-paying job in St. Louis?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $38K locally vs. $39K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does St. Louis compare to the national average for switchboard operators, including answering services?
St. Louis pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $39K — that’s -2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.09), the purchasing-power equivalent is $40K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do switchboard operators, including answering services make in St. Louis, MO-IL?
The median is $37,870 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,300, and experienced switchboard operators, including answering services can clear $44,290. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in St. Louis?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,622/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,218/month, which eats 46.5% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a switchboard operators, including answering service salary go in St. Louis?
St. Louis has a Regional Price Parity of 95.09 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median switchboard operators, including answering service salary is worth about $39,825 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do switchboard operators, including answering services get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.