Telephone Operators Salary
In Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA, telephone operators earn $40,400 at the median, or about $19.42 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $54K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.06), that's roughly $40,376 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,820/month, about 66% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $40K get you in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell’s Regional Price Parity (100.06). 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 telephone operators
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What this looks like in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell
Telephone operators pay in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell tracks closely to the national median, $40K locally vs. $42K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,820/month, which is 66.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.06) 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
Entry-level telephone operators (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $40K. Top earners bring in $54K or more, a $17K spread from bottom to top.
Telephone Operators pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Telephone Operators salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $57K | +37% | 230 |
| New York | $50K | +20% | N/A |
| District of Columbia | $49K | +18% | 50 |
| Massachusetts | $48K | +15% | N/A |
| Wisconsin | $47K | +12% | 60 |
| Maryland | $42K | +2% | 110 |
| Virginia | $42K | +1% | N/A |
| New Jersey | $42K | +1% | 190 |
| Texas | $41K | -1% | 280 |
| North Carolina | $40K | -3% | 40 |
| Michigan | $38K | -10% | 80 |
| Oklahoma | $37K | -11% | 40 |
| Florida | $37K | -11% | 70 |
| Ohio | $37K | -11% | 220 |
| Georgia | $37K | -12% | 160 |
| Louisiana | $31K | -25% | 50 |
Showing 1–10 of 16 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track telephone operators salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a telephone operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $40K, rent takes 66.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,820/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 telephone operators in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new telephone operators typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,215/month. At HUD’s $1,820/month FMR, rent would take 82% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is telephone operator a high-paying job in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $40K locally vs. $42K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell compare to the national average for telephone operators?
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell pays $40K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.06), the purchasing-power equivalent is $40K — below the national median.
How much do telephone operators make in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?
The median is $40,400 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,920, and experienced telephone operators can clear $53,700. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $40K enough to live in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,728/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,820/month, which eats 66.7% 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 telephone operators salary go in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell?
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell has a Regional Price Parity of 100.06 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median telephone operators salary is worth about $40,376 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do telephone operators 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.