Telephone Operators Salary
In Louisiana, telephone operators earn $31,400 at the median, or about $15.09 an hour. The range runs from $25K at the entry level to $38K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.28), which stretches that salary to about $35,976 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,191/month, about 55.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Louisiana. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $31K get you in Louisiana?
About telephone operators
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What this looks like in Louisiana
Pay for telephone operators in Louisiana runs about 25% below the U.S. median of $42K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,191/month, which is 54.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.28 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Louisiana
Entry-level telephone operators (10th percentile) start around $25K. Mid-career wages sit at $31K. Top earners bring in $38K or more, a $13K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track telephone operators salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Louisiana numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a telephone operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Louisiana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $31K, rent takes 54.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,191/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for telephone operators in Louisiana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new telephone operators typically earn — is $25K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,502/month. At HUD’s $1,191/month FMR, rent would take 79% 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 Louisiana?
Local pay runs 25% below the national median — $31K here vs. $42K nationally. Cost of living is 13% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Louisiana compare to the national average for telephone operators?
Louisiana pays $31K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -25%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.28), the purchasing-power equivalent is $36K — below the national median.
How much do telephone operators make in Louisiana?
The median is $31,400 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $25,040, and experienced telephone operators can clear $38,410. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $31K enough to live in Louisiana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,198/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,191/month, which eats 54.2% 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 Louisiana?
Louisiana has a Regional Price Parity of 87.28 (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 $35,976 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.