AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 43-2021.00

Will AI replace Telephone Operators?

Telephone Operators: AI can already handle 13 of 14 tasks; the work mostly needs a standard-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 14 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Telephone Operators, from most to least exposed. 13 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Perform clerical duties such as typing, proofreading, and sorting mail. 90 Estimated Efficient 4.0
Observe signal lights on switchboards, and dial or press buttons to make connections. 75 Estimated Efficient 4.6
Operate paging systems or other systems of bells or buzzers to notify recipients of incoming calls. 75 Estimated Efficient 4.5
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. 75 Estimated Efficient 4.5
Listen to customer requests, referring to alphabetical or geographical directories to answer questions and provide telephone information. 75 Estimated Efficient 4.2
Monitor automated systems for placing collect calls and intervene for a callers needing assistance. 75 Estimated Efficient 4.2
Suggest and check alternate spellings, locations, or listing formats to customers lacking details or complete information. 75 Estimated Efficient 4.1
Update directory information. 75 Estimated Frontier 4.1
Offer special assistance to persons such as those who are unable to dial or who are in emergency situations. 75 Estimated Efficient 4.0
Interrupt busy lines if an emergency warrants. 75 Estimated Efficient 3.9
Provide assistance for customers with special billing requests. 75 Estimated Standard 3.9
Provide relay service for users who are deaf or hard of hearing. 75 Estimated Efficient 3.8
Keep records of calls placed and received, and of related toll charges. 75 Estimated Efficient 3.8
Promote company products, services, and savings plans when appropriate. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.6

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 14 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 14 of 14. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.

The model tier this role needs

A standard-tier model or lower covers 87% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 100% of the work is something AI can address at some tier.

Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.

Wages, employment and outlook

US employment
3,430
Median annual wage
$41,740
Middle half of earners
$36,920 to $51,510
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
-27.5%

Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.

Adjacent roles

The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.

Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.

Questions about Telephone Operators and AI

Will AI replace Telephone Operators?

AI already handles 13 of the 14 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 75 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by -27.5% from 2024 to 2034.

What is the AI exposure of Telephone Operators?

75 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 14 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 14 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Telephone Operators tasks can AI already do?

The tasks with the highest exposure are: Perform clerical duties such as typing, proofreading, and sorting mail; Observe signal lights on switchboards, and dial or press buttons to make connections; Operate paging systems or other systems of bells or buzzers to notify recipients of incoming calls. They are three of the 13 tasks that reach 60 or more.

What AI model tier does this role need?

A standard-tier model or lower covers 87% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.

How many people work as Telephone Operators, and what do they earn?

3,430 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $41,740 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -27.5% from 2024 to 2034.

How to cite

Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.

JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Telephone Operators. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/telephone-operators

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