Telephone Operators Salary
In Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX, telephone operators earn $37,150 at the median, or about $17.86 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $37K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.05), which stretches that salary to about $41,255 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,103/month, about 41.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $37K get you in Beaumont-Port Arthur?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Beaumont-Port Arthur’s Regional Price Parity (90.05). 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 Beaumont-Port Arthur
Pay for telephone operators in Beaumont-Port Arthur runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $42K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,103/month, which is 41.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.05 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for telephone operatorss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for telephone operators in metros near Beaumont-Port Arthur, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $45K | $46K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX
Entry-level telephone operators (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $37K. Top earners bring in $37K or more, a $0 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
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 Beaumont-Port Arthur numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a telephone operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Beaumont-Port Arthur?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 41.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,103/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 Beaumont-Port Arthur?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new telephone operators typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,229/month. At HUD’s $1,103/month FMR, rent would take 49% 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 Beaumont-Port Arthur?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $37K here vs. $42K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Beaumont-Port Arthur compare to the national average for telephone operators?
Beaumont-Port Arthur pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.05), the purchasing-power equivalent is $41K — below the national median.
How much do telephone operators make in Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX?
The median is $37,150 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,150, and experienced telephone operators can clear $37,150. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $37K enough to live in Beaumont-Port Arthur?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,657/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,103/month, which eats 41.5% 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 telephone operators salary go in Beaumont-Port Arthur?
Beaumont-Port Arthur has a Regional Price Parity of 90.05 (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 telephone operators salary is worth about $41,255 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.