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Boston Career Explorer

Office and Administrative Support

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service

Operate telephone business systems equipment or switchboards to relay incoming, outgoing, and interoffice calls. May supply information to callers and record messages.

Also called: CBX Operator (Computerized Branch Exchange Operator), Central Communications Specialist, Communications Operator, Communications Specialist, Information Specialist, PBX Operator (Private Branch Exchange Operator)

Median pay in Greater Boston
$45,760
$22.00/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
540
Massachusetts 2024–2034
−27.7%
80 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
High school diploma or equivalent
plus Short-term on-the-job training

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$37,750$39,940$45,760$48,180$58,120

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • Operate communication systems, such as telephone, switchboard, intercom, two-way radio, or public address.
  • Answer incoming calls, greeting callers, providing information, transferring calls or taking messages as necessary.
  • Greet visitors, log them in and out of the facility, assign them security badges, and contact employee escorts.
  • Monitor emergency and code alarms, make emergency announcements, or route emergency calls to the appropriate location.
  • Record messages, suggesting rewording for clarity or conciseness.
  • Page individuals to inform them of telephone calls, using paging or interoffice communication equipment.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Higher exposure77 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 71
  • Language-model AIOE 83
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 77

Observed AI use today: Substantial (Anthropic Economic Index)

AI exposure is higher for this job, and observed AI use is substantial. Automated phone systems and AI tools can handle call routing, answering common questions, and taking messages. Greeting visitors in person and responding to emergency alarms rely on people. Federal projections expect fewer of these jobs as companies adopt automated phone systems, and Massachusetts is projected to lose about 27.7% by 2034.

Likely to change

  • Routing and transferring incoming calls
  • Answering common questions and taking messages

Still relies on people

  • Greeting visitors and checking them in
  • Responding to emergency alarms and calls

What federal projections say

“Capital/labor substitution - share decreases as companies continue to use automated phone systems.”
BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, factors affecting this job (U.S.)

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

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    Monitoring alarms, handling emergency situations, and managing building access carry over. This job has lower AI exposure and Boston median pay of $57,890.

    Pay difference
    +$12,130 median
    AI exposure
    Moderate
    MA growth
    +4.1%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Medical Assistants

    Talking with people, gathering information, and keeping accurate records carry over. It needs postsecondary training and has 9.0% projected growth.

    Pay difference
    +$4,980 median
    AI exposure
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    +9.0%
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    Postsecondary nondegree award

  • Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping

    Careful recordkeeping and attention to detail carry over. It has short-term on-the-job training and 9.1% projected growth.

    Pay difference
    +$1,990 median
    AI exposure
    Moderate
    MA growth
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    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.

Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.

Related occupations

Talk to a career coach

A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.

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