Careers / Public Safety Telecommunicators
Public Safety Telecommunicators — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$53,040
United States, 2025
Employment
102,500
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
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. May coordinate and provide information to law enforcement and emergency response personnel. May access sensitive databases and other information sources as needed. May provide additional instructions to callers based on knowledge of and certification in law enforcement, fire, or emergency medical procedures.
- O*NET code
- 43-5031.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- None
Typical tasks
- Provide emergency medical instructions to callers.
- 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.
- Receive incoming telephone or alarm system calls regarding emergency and non-emergency police and fire service, emergency ambulance service, information, and after-hours calls for departments within a city.
- 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.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$37,320
25th percentile
$45,210
75th percentile
$64,260
90th percentile
$79,830
Most important skills
- Active Listening4.4
- Speaking4.1
- Social Perceptiveness3.9
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Coordination3.8
- Service Orientation3.8
- Reading Comprehension3.6
- Judgment and Decision Making3.4
- Complex Problem Solving3.3
- Monitoring3.1
- Active Learning3.1
- Persuasion3.1
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 14 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
14
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.4 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.1 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.9 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Coordination | 3.8 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.6 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Service Orientation | 3.8 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.4 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.3 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Monitoring | 3.1 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Persuasion | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Active Learning | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Instructing | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Writing | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Public Safety TelecommunicatorsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $113,800 | 400 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $104,910 | 1,110 | 2025 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $90,930 | 80 | 2025 |
| Olympia, WA | $89,090 | 90 | 2025 |
| Vallejo, CA | $87,250 | 200 | 2025 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $85,950 | 90 | 2025 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $84,410 | 90 | 2025 |
| Anchorage, AK | $83,870 | 140 | 2025 |
| Oxnard, CA | $83,840 | 150 | 2025 |
| Napa, CA | $82,830 | 80 | 2025 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $81,990 | 100 | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $81,160 | 470 | 2025 |
| Stockton, CA | $80,690 | 170 | 2025 |
| Medford, OR | $80,620 | 90 | 2025 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $80,370 | 2,140 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $80,180 | 1,040 | 2025 |
| CA | $80,120 | 8,520 | 2025 |
| Sacramento, CA | $79,610 | 680 | 2025 |
| Salem, OR | $78,950 | 180 | 2025 |
| San Diego, CA | $78,950 | 710 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Public Safety Telecommunicators to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.