911 emergency dispatcher vs telecommunicator

The differences between 911 emergency dispatchers and telecommunicators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a telecommunicator has an average salary of $39,327, which is higher than the $36,782 average annual salary of a 911 emergency dispatcher.

The top three skills for a 911 emergency dispatcher include EMS, computer aided dispatch and NCIC. The most important skills for a telecommunicator are computer aided dispatch, CAD, and EMS.

911 emergency dispatcher vs telecommunicator overview

	911 Emergency Dispatcher	Telecommunicator
Yearly salary	$36,782	$39,327
Hourly rate	$17.68	$18.91
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	27,140	4,083
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

911 emergency dispatcher vs telecommunicator salary

911 emergency dispatchers and telecommunicators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	911 Emergency Dispatcher	Telecommunicator
Average salary	$36,782	$39,327
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $49,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	Minneapolis, MN	Stockton, CA
Highest paying state	Pennsylvania	California
Best paying company	Clark County	City of Detroit
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between 911 emergency dispatcher and telecommunicator education

There are a few differences between a 911 emergency dispatcher and a telecommunicator in terms of educational background:

	911 Emergency Dispatcher	Telecommunicator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

911 emergency dispatcher vs telecommunicator demographics

Here are the differences between 911 emergency dispatchers' and telecommunicators' demographics:

	911 Emergency Dispatcher	Telecommunicator
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 26.8% Female, 73.2%	Male, 29.0% Female, 71.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 0.9% White, 72.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 0.9% White, 72.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	17%	17%

Differences between 911 emergency dispatcher and telecommunicator duties and responsibilities

911 emergency dispatcher example responsibilities.

Help deliver several healthy babies with the assistance of the 911 EMD cards.
Help callers perform CPR, Heimlich maneuver, and other lifesaving measures of injure subjects.
Answer emergency and non-emergency calls and dispatch the appropriate department whether it be police, fire, or ems.
Operate a nationwide computerize crime information system (NCIC) to all criminal justice agencies-local, state and federal.
Log warrant entries, missing persons, and stolen vehicles as well as other miscellaneous items into the national NCIC program.
Administer CPR instructions to numerous third party individuals.

Telecommunicator example responsibilities.

Help organize telecommunication PSAP and back-up PSAP weekly.
Use NCIC and FCIC and provide accurate information for search.
Provide CPR instructions over the phone until emergency personnel arrive at location.
Monitor radio communications at the same time and update cad throughout emergency.
Monitor activities of officers on patrol and makes radio contact to ensure safety.
Maintain licenses to NCIC, FCIC, NLETS and other law enforcement information network.

911 emergency dispatcher vs telecommunicator skills

Common 911 emergency dispatcher skills

EMS, 12%
Computer Aided Dispatch, 10%
NCIC, 6%
CAD, 6%
Public Safety Agencies, 6%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 5%

Common telecommunicator skills

Computer Aided Dispatch, 14%
CAD, 7%
EMS, 6%
NCIC, 6%
Patrol, 4%
Dispatch System, 4%

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911 Emergency Dispatcher
911 Emergency Dispatcher vs Telecommunicator

Updated January 8, 2025

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