Telephone Operators Salary
In Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD, telephone operators earn $42,460 at the median, or about $20.41 an hour. The range runs from $42K at the entry level to $53K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 104.49), that's roughly $40,635 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,857/month, about 63.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $42K get you in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Baltimore-Columbia-Towson’s Regional Price Parity (104.49). 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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson
Telephone operators pay in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson tracks closely to the national median, $42K locally vs. $42K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,857/month, which is 65% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 104.49) 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 telephone operators in metros near Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $45K | $44K |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | $47K | $44K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
Entry-level telephone operators (10th percentile) start around $42K. Mid-career wages sit at $42K. Top earners bring in $53K or more, a $11K 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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a telephone operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $42K, rent takes 65% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,857/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for telephone operators in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new telephone operators typically earn — is $42K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,504/month. At HUD’s $1,857/month FMR, rent would take 74% 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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $42K locally vs. $42K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Baltimore-Columbia-Towson compare to the national average for telephone operators?
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson pays $42K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 104.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $41K — below the national median.
How much do telephone operators make in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?
The median is $42,460 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $41,730, and experienced telephone operators can clear $52,600. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $42K enough to live in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,859/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,857/month, which eats 65% 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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson has a Regional Price Parity of 104.49 (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 $40,635 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.