Telephone Operators Salary
In Cleveland, OH, telephone operators earn $39,570 at the median, or about $19.02 an hour. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $63K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.92), which stretches that salary to about $42,132 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,279/month, about 47.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $40K get you in Cleveland?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Cleveland’s Regional Price Parity (93.92). 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 Cleveland
Telephone operators pay in Cleveland tracks closely to the national median, $40K locally vs. $42K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,279/month, which is 45.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.92 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for telephone operators in metros near Cleveland, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati | $38K | $39K |
| Columbus | $38K | $40K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $45K | $44K |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $38K | $37K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Cleveland, OH
Entry-level telephone operators (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $40K. Top earners bring in $63K or more, a $28K 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 Cleveland numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a telephone operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Cleveland?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $40K, rent takes 45.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,279/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 Cleveland?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new telephone operators typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,059/month. At HUD’s $1,279/month FMR, rent would take 62% 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 Cleveland?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $40K locally vs. $42K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Cleveland compare to the national average for telephone operators?
Cleveland pays $40K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.92), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do telephone operators make in Cleveland, OH?
The median is $39,570 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,320, and experienced telephone operators can clear $62,710. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $40K enough to live in Cleveland?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,788/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,279/month, which eats 45.9% 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 Cleveland?
Cleveland has a Regional Price Parity of 93.92 (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 $42,132 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.