Switchboard Operators

ANZSCO ID 5616

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
2,700
Future Growth
-9.9%
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
55%
Female Share
81%
Average age
45

Summary

Switchboard Operators operate telecommunication switchboards and consoles to assist callers establish telephone connections, and receive caller inquiries and fault reports.

Also known as: Telephone Operator.

Formal qualifications are not usually required to work as a Switchboard Operator. Some workers have Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications in areas such as business or clerical studies.

Tasks

  • operating switchboards and consoles to connect, hold, transfer and disconnect telephone calls

  • responding to callers' inquiries by providing information such as telephone numbers, dialling codes, call costs, time delays and service difficulties

  • investigating operating system problems and informing maintenance services

  • alerting emergency services when required

  • recording details and determining charges for designated types of calls

  • may monitor the efficiency of systems and maintain service sampling records

Characteristics

Job Type
Clerical And Administrative Workers
Skill Level
Entry level
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
Above average
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Administrative
  • Enterprising
Physical Demand
  • Sedentary

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers:

  • is expected to decline
  • is likely to reach 2,700 by 2026.
  • Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.

    Notes: The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.

    Employment projections figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Calculations based on these rounded figures may result in differences to the numbers that are displayed on this page. Employment projections data (including occupations) can be downloaded from the Employment Projections page.

Projected Change
-9.9%
(or -300 jobs)
From
2,900
in 2021
To
2,700
in 2026

Number of Workers

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Year Employment
2011 7,400
2012 4,300
2013 3,400
2014 4,400
2015 3,400
2016 3,000
2017 4,400
2018 3,900
2019 3,200
2020 4,500
2021 2,900
2026 2,700

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 52% of people employed as Switchboard Operators work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 14 percentage points below the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 41 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Public Administration and Safety
32.1%
2
Health Care and Social Assistance
17.9%
3
Administrative and Support Services
10.7%
4
Manufacturing
7.1%
5
Other industries
35.7%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

33.4% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

23.3% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

18.9% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

7.6% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

10.2% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

2.7% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

1.1% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

2.7% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Switchboard Operators All Jobs Average
NSW 33.4 31.6
VIC 23.3 25.6
QLD 18.9 20.0
SA 7.6 7.0
WA 10.2 10.8
TAS 2.7 2.0
NT 1.1 1.0
ACT 2.7 1.9



Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
45
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
81%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Switchboard Operators is 45 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.

    Females make up 81% of the workforce. This is 33 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Switchboard Operators All Jobs Average
15-19 2.9 5.0
20-24 13.3 9.3
25-34 17.5 22.9
35-44 15.4 22.0
45-54 18.7 21.6
55-59 12.5 9.0
60-64 10.4 6.0
65 and Over 9.3 4.2
Median Age 45 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

Formal qualifications are not usually required to work as a Switchboard Operator. Some workers have Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications in areas such as business or clerical studies.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Switchboard Operators All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 2.1 10.1
Bachelor degree 9.0 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 10.1 11.6
Certificate III/IV 15.2 21.1
Year 12 30.4 18.1
Year 11 7.8 4.8
Year 10 and below 25.4 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Switchboard Operators who have good computer skills, can communicate clearly and can interact with a variety of people.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 43%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 43%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 41%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 39%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 39%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 37%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 36%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 34%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 34%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 32%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 32%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 30%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 30%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 29%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 27%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 27%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 27%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

  • 25%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 21%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 18%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 66%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 55%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 52%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 43%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 37%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 32%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 29%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 28%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 23%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 22%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 22%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 21%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 20%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 19%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 18%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 15%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 12%

    Medicine and dentistry

    Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.

  • 12%

    Therapy and counselling

    Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.

  • 11%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 11%

    Geography

    Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 57%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 57%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 55%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 52%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 45%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 39%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 37%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 37%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 36%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 36%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 36%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 34%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 34%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 30%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 30%

    Perceptual speed

    Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • 30%

    Auditory attention

    Pay attention to a certain sound when there are other distracting sounds.

  • 29%

    Multitasking

    Do two or more things at the same time.

  • 27%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 27%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 27%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 60%

    Working with the public

    Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.

  • 59%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 59%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 57%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 54%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 54%

    Helping and caring for others

    Providing personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.

  • 53%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

  • 52%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 51%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 49%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 49%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 47%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 47%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 41%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 41%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 39%

    Negotiating and resolving conflicts

    Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.

  • 38%

    Providing office support

    Doing day-to-day office work such as filing and processing paperwork.

  • 36%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 36%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 30%

    Leading and encouraging a team

    Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 95%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 67%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 52%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 43%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 14%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 14%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 81%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 67%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 57%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 45%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 33%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 33%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 98%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 95%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 94%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 93%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 91%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 89%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 88%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 85%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 83%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 79%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

  • 79%

    Angry or unpleasant people

    Deal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.

  • 79%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 79%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 79%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

  • 78%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 76%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 71%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 68%

    Conflict situations

    Deal with conflict or disagreements.

  • 66%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 66%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 43-2011.00 - Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service.


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