Telephone Operators Salary
In New Jersey, telephone operators earn $41,960 at the median, or about $20.17 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $55K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 99.34), that's roughly $42,239 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,067/month, about 71.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of New Jersey. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $42K get you in New Jersey?
About telephone operators
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What this looks like in New Jersey
Telephone operators pay in New Jersey tracks closely to the national median, $42K locally vs. $42K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,067/month, which is 71% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 99.34) 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New Jersey
Entry-level telephone operators (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $42K. Top earners bring in $55K or more, a $18K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track telephone operators salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when New Jersey numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a telephone operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in New Jersey?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $42K, rent takes 71% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,067/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 New Jersey?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new telephone operators typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,227/month. At HUD’s $2,067/month FMR, rent would take 93% 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 New Jersey?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $42K locally vs. $42K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does New Jersey compare to the national average for telephone operators?
New Jersey pays $42K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s +1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 99.34), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do telephone operators make in New Jersey?
The median is $41,960 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,120, and experienced telephone operators can clear $55,000. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $42K enough to live in New Jersey?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,911/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,067/month, which eats 71% 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 New Jersey?
New Jersey has a Regional Price Parity of 99.34 (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 $42,239 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.