Call taker vs emergency telecommunications dispatcher

The differences between call takers and emergency telecommunications dispatchers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a call taker has an average salary of $38,776, which is higher than the $38,561 average annual salary of an emergency telecommunications dispatcher.

The top three skills for a call taker include computer aided dispatch, taker and CAD. The most important skills for an emergency telecommunications dispatcher are EMS, computer aided dispatch, and CPR.

Call taker vs emergency telecommunications dispatcher overview

	Call Taker	Emergency Telecommunications Dispatcher
Yearly salary	$38,776	$38,561
Hourly rate	$18.64	$18.54
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	11,539	27,658
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

Call taker vs emergency telecommunications dispatcher salary

Call takers and emergency telecommunications dispatchers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Call Taker	Emergency Telecommunications Dispatcher
Average salary	$38,776	$38,561
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $51,000	Between $28,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	San Mateo, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	City of San Antonio	-
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between call taker and emergency telecommunications dispatcher education

There are a few differences between a call taker and an emergency telecommunications dispatcher in terms of educational background:

	Call Taker	Emergency Telecommunications Dispatcher
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Call taker vs emergency telecommunications dispatcher demographics

Here are the differences between call takers' and emergency telecommunications dispatchers' demographics:

	Call Taker	Emergency Telecommunications Dispatcher
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 26.0% Female, 74.0%	Male, 27.9% Female, 72.1%
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 call taker and emergency telecommunications dispatcher duties and responsibilities

Call taker example responsibilities.

Manage truck and equipment inventory, rental tracking and GPS monitoring.
Dispatch all patrol officers and fire departments.
Enter confidential info through NCIC directly under SLED/FBI.
Place outbound calls to advise members of eta.
Dispatch need help such as fire ems and law.
Receive emergency calls and route calls to patrol units.

Emergency telecommunications dispatcher example responsibilities.

Perform EMD protocols for injure subscribers.
Provide assistance in accordance with state mandates of EMD.
Provide medical instruction to those on the scene of the emergency until the EMT's arrive.
Display patience, caring, and understanding until police, fire, or ems arrive on the scene.
Help the caller stay calm if need and give verbal directions such as CPR, gunshot victim, seizures, etc.
Operate NC DCI system within DCI and agency protocols, disseminate information to appropriate officers, and effect entries into NCIC.

Call taker vs emergency telecommunications dispatcher skills

Common call taker skills

Computer Aided Dispatch, 15%
Taker, 13%
CAD, 8%
Data Entry, 5%
Customer Service, 5%
EMS, 4%

Common emergency telecommunications dispatcher skills

EMS, 13%
Computer Aided Dispatch, 11%
CPR, 9%
Public Safety Agencies, 7%
CAD, 6%
NCIC, 5%

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Call Taker vs Emergency Telecommunications Dispatcher

Updated January 8, 2025

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