Public Safety Telecommunicators Salary
Office and Administrative Support Occupations · 103K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$53,040
Median hourly
$26
Average annual
$56,740
Typical range
$37,320–$79,830
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Public Safety Telecommunicators is $53,040 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $26 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Operate telephone, radio, or other communication systems to receive and communicate requests for emergency assistance at 9-1-1 public safety answering points and emergency operations centers. Take information from the public and other sources regarding crimes, threats, disturbances, acts of terrorism, fires, medical emergencies, and other public safety matters.
Most earn between $37,320 and $79,830 a year. There are roughly 103K people employed as public safety telecommunicators in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Public Safety Telecommunicators.
- Hourly
- $25.50
- Daily
- $204
- Weekly
- $1,020
- Bi-weekly
- $2,040
- Monthly
- $4,420
- Annual
- $53,040
$53,040 a year is around the 50th percentile for Public Safety Telecommunicatorss. The median is $53,040.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1California$80,120
- 2Washington$78,850
- 3Oregon$71,980
- 4Alaska$66,660
- 5Minnesota$66,550
- 6Colorado$63,520
- 7Connecticut$62,410
- 8Massachusetts$61,720
- 9New York$61,450
- 10Illinois$61,260
- 11Nevada$60,040
- 12Wisconsin$60,000
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$113,800
- 2San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$104,910
- 3San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA$90,930
- 4Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA$89,090
- 5Vallejo, CA$87,250
- 6Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA$85,950
- 7Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$84,410
- 8Anchorage, AK$83,870
- 9Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$83,840
- 10Napa, CA$82,830
- 11Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$81,990
- 12Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$81,160
Related job titles
Employers advertise Public Safety Telecommunicators roles under these titles.
- 911 Dispatcher
- 911 Emergency Dispatcher
- 911 Emergency Services Dispatcher
- 911 Operator
- 911 Telecommunicator
- Alarm Operator
- Ambulance Dispatcher
- Call Person
- Communications Dispatcher
- Communications Officer
- Communications Operator
- Dispatch Specialist
- Dispatch Technician (Dispatch Tech)
- Emergency Communications Dispatcher
- Emergency Communications Officer (ECO)
- Emergency Communications Operator (ECO)
Related occupations
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance$50,340
- Emergency Medical Technicians$44,470
- First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers$55,940
- Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service$38,630
- Paramedics$60,600
- Transit and Railroad Police$90,230
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers$76,210
- Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians$35,450
What a Public Safety Telecommunicators does
- Question callers to determine their locations and the nature of their problems to determine type of response needed.
- Determine response requirements and relative priorities of situations, and dispatch units in accordance with established procedures.
- Relay information and messages to and from emergency sites, to law enforcement agencies, and to all other individuals or groups requiring notification.
- Record details of calls, dispatches, and messages.
- Monitor various radio frequencies, such as those used by public works departments, school security, and civil defense, to stay apprised of developing situations.
- Read and effectively interpret small-scale maps and information from a computer screen to determine locations and provide directions.
- Enter, update, and retrieve information from teletype networks and computerized data systems regarding such things as wanted persons, stolen property, vehicle registration, and stolen vehicles.
- Scan status charts and computer screens, and contact emergency response field units to determine emergency units available for dispatch.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Public Safety Telecommunicators make?
- The median annual wage for Public Safety Telecommunicators is $53,040 ($26 per hour). Pay ranges from about $37,320 at the 10th percentile to $79,830 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Public Safety Telecommunicators?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $56,740, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Public Safety Telecommunicatorss the most?
- California has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $80,120.
- Is Public Safety Telecommunicators a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 103K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Public Safety Telecommunicators do?
- Question callers to determine their locations and the nature of their problems to determine type of response needed.; Determine response requirements and relative priorities of situations, and dispatch units in accordance with established procedures.; Relay information and messages to and from emergency sites, to law enforcement agencies, and to all other individuals or groups requiring notification..