Telephone Operators

Telephone Operators score 89 out of 100, which is very high exposure to AI. That ranks #11 of 923 US occupations, where #1 is the most exposed. Of the 16 tasks in this job, AI could speed up 14 on its own and 1 more with extra software built on top of it. In April–May 2026, 2 of these tasks showed up in real conversations with Claude, Anthropic's AI assistant.

89/ 100

Very high

Rank: #11of 923 jobs
US workers: 3,430BLS, May 2025
Median pay: $41,740a year
In real AI use: 2 of 16tasks, April–May 2026

Task by task

Each task this job involves, as listed by O*NET, rated on whether a large language model like GPT-4 could cut the time it takes by at least half at the same quality. Tasks marked Seen in real AI use appeared in conversations with Claude in April–May 2026 (Anthropic Economic Index).

AI can speed this up on its own: 14 (88%)
AI can speed this up with extra software: 1 (6%)
Little or no AI speed-up: 1 (6%)

Listen to customer requests, referring to alphabetical or geographical directories to answer questions and provide telephone information.AI can speed this up on its own · core task
Suggest and check alternate spellings, locations, or listing formats to customers lacking details or complete information.AI can speed this up on its own · core task
Observe signal lights on switchboards, and dial or press buttons to make connections.AI can speed this up on its own · supplemental task
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.AI can speed this up on its own · supplemental task
Provide assistance for customers with special billing requests.AI can speed this up on its own · supplemental task
Calculate and quote charges for services such as long-distance connections.AI can speed this up on its own · supplemental task
Monitor automated systems for placing collect calls and intervene for a callers needing assistance.AI can speed this up on its own · supplemental task
Perform clerical duties such as typing, proofreading, and sorting mail.AI can speed this up on its own · supplemental task
Consult charts to determine charges for pay-telephone calls, requesting coin deposits for calls as necessary.AI can speed this up on its own · supplemental task
Provide relay service for hearing-impaired users.AI can speed this up on its own · supplemental task
Promote company products, services, and savings plans when appropriate.AI can speed this up on its own · supplemental task · Seen in real AI use
Operate paging systems or other systems of bells or buzzers to notify recipients of incoming calls.AI can speed this up on its own · supplemental task
Update directory information.AI can speed this up on its own · supplemental task · Seen in real AI use
Keep records of calls placed and received, and of related toll charges.AI can speed this up on its own · supplemental task
Offer special assistance to persons such as those who are unable to dial or who are in emergency situations.AI can speed this up with extra software · core task
Interrupt busy lines if an emergency warrants.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task

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Questions about telephone operators and AI

Will AI replace telephone operators?

Probably not entirely, but the job is likely to change a lot. Telephone Operators score 89 out of 100 (very high exposure), #11 of 923 US jobs. AI could speed up 15 of the job's 16 tasks, 14 of them on its own, while 1 see little or no speed-up. Exposure means the work is likely to change, not that the job will disappear.

Which telephone operators tasks can AI do?

The most exposed tasks include "Listen to customer requests, referring to alphabetical or geographical directories to answer questions and provide telephone information"; "Suggest and check alternate spellings, locations, or listing formats to customers lacking details or complete information"; "Observe signal lights on switchboards, and dial or press buttons to make connections".

Which telephone operators tasks are hardest for AI?

Tasks with little or no AI speed-up include "Interrupt busy lines if an emergency warrants".

Are people already using AI for this work?

Yes. In April–May 2026, 2 of the 16 tasks showed up in real conversations with Claude, according to the Anthropic Economic Index.

How many people work as telephone operators, and what do they earn?

About 3,430 people in the US, with median pay of $41,740 a year (BLS, May 2025).

How to read this score. Exposure measures how much of the work AI could speed up, not whether the job will disappear. A highly exposed job can change shape, with people spending less time on routine tasks and more on the rest. The score counts tasks AI can speed up on its own in full, and tasks that need extra software at half weight.

The ratings come from published research based on GPT-4 (2023). To show what's happening now, each task is also checked against the latest Anthropic Economic Index, which records which tasks people actually use AI for. That data is refreshed automatically when Anthropic publishes a new release. Read the full method.

Telephone Operators

Task by task

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Questions about telephone operators and AI

Know what's changing before it reaches your job.