Can Agents Work?

Jobs / Office and administrative support / 43-2021.00

Telephone Operators

Provide information by accessing alphabetical, geographical, or other directories. Assist customers with special billing requests, such as charges to a third party and credits or refunds for incorrectly dialed numbers or bad connections. May handle emergency calls and assist children or people with physical disabilities to make telephone calls.

US jobs
3,430
Median wage
$41,740 a year
Job family
Office and administrative support

Can agents do the work of telephone operators?

We read the evidence for the whole job family, Office and administrative support: Most tasks (no change in 12 months)

Agents complete 60% or more of the tasks (or projects) on two direct benchmarks from independent institutions.

Evidence: OSWorld-Verified, 90.2% of tasks completed; SpreadsheetBench, 83.1% of tasks completed.

17% of this occupation's work, by O*NET work activities, is measured by a direct benchmark.

  • 30%Operate communications equipment or systemsNot measured
  • 17%Assist individuals with special needsNot measured
  • 15%Provide information to guests, clients, or customersNot measured
  • 10%Assist individuals with paperworkNot measured
  • 8%Process digital or online dataMeasured
  • 5%Gather information from physical or electronic sourcesMeasured
  • 4%Sort materials or productsNot measured
  • 4%Examine materials or documentation for accuracy or complianceNot measured

Benchmarks for the job family

These cover work in office and administrative support, not always this occupation's tasks.

Direct evidence

Work benchmarks mapped primary to this family. They set the step when they report how many tasks agents complete.

Also relevant

These benchmarks cover part of this family's work, or have no result yet. They do not set its step.

Context only

These benchmarks span many occupations, or they test how agents behave. They give context but do not set the step.

Typical tasks

From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.

  • Observe signal lights on switchboards, and dial or press buttons to make connections.
  • Operate telephone switchboards and systems to advance and complete connections, including those for local, long distance, pay telephone, mobile, person-to-person, and emergency calls.
  • Listen to customer requests, referring to alphabetical or geographical directories to answer questions and provide telephone information.
  • Update directory information.
  • Suggest and check alternate spellings, locations, or listing formats to customers lacking details or complete information.
  • Perform clerical duties such as typing, proofreading, and sorting mail.
  • Offer special assistance to persons such as those who are unable to dial or who are in emergency situations.
  • Operate paging systems or other systems of bells or buzzers to notify recipients of incoming calls.
  • Monitor automated systems for placing collect calls and intervene for a callers needing assistance.
  • Interrupt busy lines if an emergency warrants.
  • Provide assistance for customers with special billing requests.
  • Provide relay service for users who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Other job titles for this occupation (30)

411 Directory Assistance Operator (411 Directory Assistance Op) · Directory Assistance Operator (Directory Assistance Op) · Information Specialist · Live Source Operator (Live Source Op) · Long Distance Operator (LD Operator) · PBX Operator (Post Box Exchange Operator) · Phone Operator (Telephone Operator) · Phone Secretary (Telephone Secretary) · TELECOM Op (Telecommunications Operator) · Toll Operator (Toll Op) · Central Office Operator (CO Op) · Change Number Operator (Change Number Op) · Charge Operator (Charge Op) · Communications Operator (Communications Op) · Customer Service Assistant · Directory Operator (Directory Op) · Emergency Operator (Emergency Op) · Information Operator (Information Op) · Inward Toll Operator (Inward Toll Op) · Local Operator (Local Op) · Local Telephone Operator (Local Phone Op) · Long Lines Operator (Long Lines Op) · Operator (Op) · Rate Quoting Operator (Rate Quoting Op) · Relief Operator (Relief Op) · Switchboard Op (Switchboard Operator) · Telephone Exchange Operator (Phone Exchange Op) · Toll Relief Operator (Toll Relief Op) · Toll Service Observer · Trouble Operator (Trouble Op)