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Call taker salary
Average call taker salary
$38,776
Understanding Call Taker Salaries
The average salary for a call taker in the United States is approximately $38,776 per year, translating to about $19 per hour. Salary variations depend on factors such as geographic location, level of experience, and specific industry. For instance, call takers in states like California and New York often earn higher wages due to the cost of living and demand for services.
Experience Levels Matter
Entry-level positions may start lower, with salaries increasing significantly as call takers gain experience. For example, those with five to ten years in the field can earn upwards of $45,000. Moreover, specialized roles, such as emergency dispatchers or technical support representatives, typically offer higher pay due to their critical responsibilities.
Finding Better Opportunities
To maximize earning potential, consider seeking employment in industries with a history of higher salaries for call takers, such as healthcare, emergency services, or technical support. Additionally, leveraging skills in customer service and technical proficiency can enhance job prospects and salary offers.
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Where can a Call Taker earn more?
Call taker salaries by experience level
Call taker salary estimates from across the web
Average call taker salary by state
The highest-paying states for call takers are California, Pennsylvania, and Oregon. The lowest average call taker salary states are Kentucky, Georgia, and Florida.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for call takers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | $49,340 | $23.72 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $54,495 | $26.20 |
| 3 | Minnesota | $49,517 | $23.81 |
| 4 | North Dakota | $45,577 | $21.91 |
| 5 | Kansas | $45,321 | $21.79 |
| 6 | Iowa | $43,867 | $21.09 |
| 7 | California | $58,940 | $28.34 |
| 8 | Oregon | $52,543 | $25.26 |
| 9 | Colorado | $47,820 | $22.99 |
| 10 | Maine | $49,717 | $23.90 |
| 11 | Nebraska | $39,098 | $18.80 |
| 12 | Nevada | $43,110 | $20.73 |
| 13 | West Virginia | $45,672 | $21.96 |
| 14 | Montana | $39,431 | $18.96 |
| 15 | Washington | $47,649 | $22.91 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $42,689 | $20.52 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $43,403 | $20.87 |
| 18 | Vermont | $43,506 | $20.92 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $43,464 | $20.90 |
| 20 | Michigan | $38,128 | $18.33 |
| 21 | Alaska | $41,984 | $20.18 |
| 22 | Delaware | $41,402 | $19.90 |
| 23 | Connecticut | $43,578 | $20.95 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $36,457 | $17.53 |
| 25 | Idaho | $36,585 | $17.59 |
| 26 | Missouri | $36,388 | $17.49 |
| 27 | Illinois | $37,837 | $18.19 |
| 28 | Massachusetts | $40,882 | $19.65 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $39,211 | $18.85 |
| 30 | Indiana | $35,509 | $17.07 |
| 31 | Arizona | $36,821 | $17.70 |
| 32 | New Jersey | $39,323 | $18.91 |
| 33 | Virginia | $35,871 | $17.25 |
| 34 | Maryland | $36,558 | $17.58 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $30,975 | $14.89 |
| 36 | New York | $39,614 | $19.05 |
| 37 | District of Columbia | $40,324 | $19.39 |
| 38 | Texas | $33,137 | $15.93 |
| 39 | Utah | $35,339 | $16.99 |
| 40 | Alabama | $30,264 | $14.55 |
| 41 | Ohio | $30,973 | $14.89 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $29,174 | $14.03 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $29,857 | $14.35 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $28,461 | $13.68 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $28,990 | $13.94 |
| 46 | Georgia | $28,192 | $13.55 |
| 47 | Florida | $28,169 | $13.54 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $25,000 | $12.02 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $29,098 | $13.99 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $27,866 | $13.40 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $23,269 | $11.19 |
Highest paying cities for call takers
The highest-paying cities for call takers are San Mateo, CA, Bethel Park, PA, and Eugene, OR.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Mateo, CA | $61,758 | $29.69 |
| 2 | Bethel Park, PA | $54,273 | $26.09 |
| 3 | Eugene, OR | $52,554 | $25.27 |
| 4 | Burnsville, MN | $49,560 | $23.83 |
| 5 | Fort Collins, CO | $48,783 | $23.45 |
| 6 | Carson City, NV | $44,267 | $21.28 |
| 7 | Anchorage, AK | $42,012 | $20.20 |
| 8 | Boston, MA | $40,861 | $19.64 |
| 9 | New York, NY | $39,485 | $18.98 |
| 10 | Lakewood, NJ | $39,092 | $18.79 |
| 11 | Clinton, MI | $38,148 | $18.34 |
| 12 | Albuquerque, NM | $37,027 | $17.80 |
| 13 | Annapolis, MD | $36,359 | $17.48 |
| 14 | Saint Louis, MO | $36,255 | $17.43 |
| 15 | Midland, TX | $34,323 | $16.50 |
| 16 | Evansville, IN | $32,890 | $15.81 |
| 17 | Columbus, OH | $30,649 | $14.74 |
| 18 | Enid, OK | $29,731 | $14.29 |
| 19 | Memphis, TN | $29,677 | $14.27 |
| 20 | Jacksonville, FL | $28,897 | $13.89 |
Call taker salary details
A call taker's salary ranges from $29,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $51,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a call taker's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $51,000 | $4,250 | $25 |
| 75th Percentile | $44,000 | $3,667 | $21 |
| Average | $38,776 | $3,231 | $19 |
| 25th Percentile | $33,000 | $2,750 | $16 |
| 10th Percentile | $29,000 | $2,417 | $14 |
Highest paying call taker jobs
The highest paying types of call takers are emergency dispatch operator, police communications operator, and 911 operator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations/Dispatch | $39,483 | $3,290 | $18.98 | 60,313 |
| Telecommunicator | $39,327 | $3,277 | $18.91 | 4,083 |
| Police Dispatcher | $37,402 | $3,117 | $17.98 | 6,964 |
| Fire Dispatcher | $37,441 | $3,120 | $18.00 | 7,959 |
| Public Safety Dispatcher | $35,063 | $2,922 | $16.86 | 25,700 |
| Dispatcher | $35,328 | $2,944 | $16.98 | 5,818 |
Top companies hiring call takers now:
Which companies pay call takers the most?
Call taker salaries at City of San Antonio and Mayor Ethan Berkowitz are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average call taker salary at companies like City of Austin and Deschutes County are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | City of San Antonio | $53,011 | $25.49 |
| 2 | Mayor Ethan Berkowitz | $51,671 | $24.84 |
| 3 | City of Austin | $47,289 | $22.74 |
| 4 | Deschutes County | $47,243 | $22.71 |
| 5 | El Paso County | $47,011 | $22.60 |
| 6 | City of Reno | $46,482 | $22.35 |
| 7 | City of Napa | $44,408 | $21.35 |
| 8 | City of Aurora | $44,301 | $21.30 |
| 9 | City of Columbus | $44,186 | $21.24 |
| 10 | Larimer County | $43,700 | $21.01 |
| 11 | City of Eugene | $43,526 | $20.93 |
| 12 | Emory University | $43,426 | $20.88 |
| 13 | Anne Arundel County Public Schools | $41,960 | $20.17 |
| 14 | First Transit | $40,760 | $19.60 |
| 15 | Edmond Oklahoma | $40,509 | $19.48 |
| 16 | City of Thornton | $40,391 | $19.42 |
| 17 | State of Colorado | $39,585 | $19.03 |
| 18 | City Of Enid Utilities Office | $39,572 | $19.02 |
| 19 | Mohawk Regional Information Center | $38,767 | $18.64 |
| 20 | LifeCare Ambulance | $38,740 | $18.63 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Call Taker salary by industry
The average call taker salary varies across industries:
- The average call taker salary in the government industry is $42,836, the highest of any industry.
- The average call taker salary in the finance industry is $36,512.
- Call takers in the health care industry earn an average salary of $32,987, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for call takers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Government | $42,836 | $20.59 |
| 2 | Transportation | $36,512 | $17.55 |
| 3 | Hospitality | $35,760 | $17.19 |
| 4 | Health Care | $32,987 | $15.86 |
High paying call taker jobs
Call taker salary trends
The average call taker salary has risen by $6,592 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average call taker earned $32,184 annually, but today, they earn $38,776 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for call takers over the last decade.
Compare call taker salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average call taker salary over time
Compare call taker salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Call taker salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $38,800 | $18.64 | +3.2% |
| 2024 | $37,500 | $18.05 | +3.0% |
| 2023 | $36,400 | $17.51 | +2.5% |
| 2022 | $35,500 | $17.07 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | $34,800 | $16.74 | +2.2% |
Recently added call taker salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global Medical Response | Call Taker II | Tukwila, WA | 06/27/2025 | $48,001 |
| Benjamin Franklin Plumbing | Call Taker/Dispatcher | Cedar Park, TX | 06/25/2025 | $41,740 |
| City of Eugene | 911 Call-Taker/Dispatcher | Eugene, OR | 06/24/2025 | $59,083 |
| City of Raleigh North Carolina | Emergency Communications Call Taker | Raleigh, NC | 06/24/2025 | $45,323 |
| City of Dothan, Al | Public Safety Calltaker | Dothan, AL | 06/17/2025 | $40,592 |
| Benjamin Franklin Plumbing | Dispatcher/Call Taker | Bethlehem, PA | 06/15/2025 | $41,740 |
| Sedgwick County, Ks | Emergency Service Call Taker-Emergency Communications | Wichita, KS | 06/14/2025 | $41,949 |
| Stepp's Towing | Call Taker (TO BE Developed Into A Dispatcher)-Saturday To Wednesday-2Nd Shift | Tampa, FL | 06/13/2025 | $35,479 |
| University Hospital | EMS Emergency Call Taker | Newark, NJ | 06/10/2025 | $44,244 |
| Deschutes County, or | 1 Call Taker | Bend, OR | 06/08/2025 | $57,950 |
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