Alarm operator vs emergency medical dispatcher

The differences between alarm operators and emergency medical dispatchers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an emergency medical dispatcher has an average salary of $38,255, which is higher than the $29,349 average annual salary of an alarm operator.

The top three skills for an alarm operator include alarm signals, emergency situations and customer service. The most important skills for an emergency medical dispatcher are EMT, computer aided dispatch, and EMS.

Alarm operator vs emergency medical dispatcher overview

	Alarm Operator	Emergency Medical Dispatcher
Yearly salary	$29,349	$38,255
Hourly rate	$14.11	$18.39
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	30,893	69,103
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 29%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

Alarm operator vs emergency medical dispatcher salary

Alarm operators and emergency medical dispatchers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Alarm Operator	Emergency Medical Dispatcher
Average salary	$29,349	$38,255
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $34,000	Between $30,000 And $47,000
Highest paying City	Kirkland, WA	-
Highest paying state	Oregon	-
Best paying company	ASRC Federal	-
Best paying industry	Utilities	-

Differences between alarm operator and emergency medical dispatcher education

There are a few differences between an alarm operator and an emergency medical dispatcher in terms of educational background:

	Alarm Operator	Emergency Medical Dispatcher
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 29%
Most common major	Business	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Alarm operator vs emergency medical dispatcher demographics

Here are the differences between alarm operators' and emergency medical dispatchers' demographics:

	Alarm Operator	Emergency Medical Dispatcher
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 39.2% Female, 60.8%	Male, 35.8% Female, 64.2%
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 alarm operator and emergency medical dispatcher duties and responsibilities

Alarm operator example responsibilities.

Interpret and respond to system messages through use of JES2, MVS, SDSF and automate commands.
Supervise telecommunication operations and reinforce the confidentiality in telecommunications.
Enter data into various databases including TCIC and NCIC.
Enter stolen, re-cover and missing property into TCIC and NCIC database.
Supervise telecommunication operations and reinforce the confidentiality in telecommunications.

Emergency medical dispatcher example responsibilities.

Train new EMT students, and dispatchers in patient care, emergency call taking and operations.
Dispatch fire police sheriff and medical using the cad system.
Provide medical instructions to callers on issues such as childbirth and CPR.
Dispatch appropriate units according to acuity level, availability and location; assist with CPR until units arrive at location.
Develop and implement departments EMD program.
Dispatch ambulances as necessary and in accordance with state and company standard operating procedures.

Alarm operator vs emergency medical dispatcher skills

Common alarm operator skills

Alarm Signals, 15%
Emergency Situations, 14%
Customer Service, 12%
Data Entry, 8%
Emergency Services, 7%
Security Systems, 7%

Common emergency medical dispatcher skills

EMT, 11%
Computer Aided Dispatch, 10%
EMS, 8%
CAD, 8%
EMD, 7%
CPR, 7%

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Alarm Operator
Alarm Operator vs Emergency Medical Dispatcher

Updated January 8, 2025

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