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The differences between communications operators and emergency dispatchers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an emergency dispatcher has an average salary of $36,748, which is higher than the $31,491 average annual salary of a communications operator.
The top three skills for a communications operator include patients, customer service and emergency situations. The most important skills for an emergency dispatcher are computer aided dispatch, EMS, and customer service.
| Communications Operator | Emergency Dispatcher | |
| Yearly salary | $31,491 | $36,748 |
| Hourly rate | $15.14 | $17.67 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 48,509 | 29,409 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Average age | 53 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
Communications operators and emergency dispatchers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Communications Operator | Emergency Dispatcher | |
| Average salary | $31,491 | $36,748 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $40,000 | Between $27,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Allentown, PA |
| Highest paying state | California | Pennsylvania |
| Best paying company | City of Round Rock | Clean Harbors |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a communications operator and an emergency dispatcher in terms of educational background:
| Communications Operator | Emergency Dispatcher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Most common major | Business | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between communications operators' and emergency dispatchers' demographics:
| Communications Operator | Emergency Dispatcher | |
| Average age | 53 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.6% Female, 60.4% | Male, 34.8% Female, 65.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 14.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 3.8% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% | 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 | 19% | 17% |