Telephone Operators Salary
In Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY, telephone operators earn $38,620 at the median, or about $18.57 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $78K for experienced workers.
So what does $39K get you in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Buffalo-Cheektowaga’s Regional Price Parity (95.8). 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga
Telephone operators pay in Buffalo-Cheektowaga tracks closely to the national median, $39K locally vs. $42K nationwide, a 7% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,361/month, which is 51.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 95.8) 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $51K | , |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $48K | , |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $45K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY
Entry-level telephone operators (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $78K or more, a $43K 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a telephone operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 51.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,361/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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new telephone operators typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,093/month. At HUD’s $1,361/month FMR, rent would take 65% 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $39K locally vs. $42K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Buffalo-Cheektowaga compare to the national average for telephone operators?
Buffalo-Cheektowaga pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.8), the purchasing-power equivalent is $40K — below the national median.
How much do telephone operators make in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?
The median is $38,620 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,890, and experienced telephone operators can clear $78,070. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,629/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,361/month, which eats 51.8% 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
Buffalo-Cheektowaga has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median telephone operators salary is worth about $40,313 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.