How To Become A Communications Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a communications operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

It often goes without saying that communication is very important. It affects how we do our work. To some people, their work is all about communications - coordinating with other people, managing schedules, and creating communication plans.

To others, their role is all about ensuring that communications will never fail. This may involve fixing communication line problems or ensuring that the calls they receive will be properly relayed to concerned individuals or teams. Communications operators usually work on radio or frequency-related communication lines.

They are often involved in emergency dispatching organizations. They receive calls through a central system and communicates the needs of the callers to responders on site. They also log these calls and ensure proper documentation. This implies that communications operators should be organized and should also be calm in the face of challenging situations. This role may be daunting, and it is, without question, a crucial role. As such, if you want to pursue this career, you should be able to exhibit grace under pressure and quick decision-making skills.

ScoreCommunications OperatorUS Average

Salary

2.5

Avg. Salary $31,491

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.1

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.28%

Asian 3.81%

Black or African American 14.62%

Hispanic or Latino 15.67%

Unknown 3.75%

White 60.86%

Gender

female 60.35%

male 39.65%

Age - 57

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 57

Stress level

8.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a communications operator

Explore communications operator education requirements

Most common communications operator degrees

Bachelor's

40.6 %

Associate

24.9 %

High School Diploma

20.1 %

Start to develop specific communications operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	14.46%
Customer Service	13.95%
Emergency Situations	5.84%
PBX	4.99%
Public Safety	3.89%

Complete relevant communications operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New communications operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a communications operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real communications operator resumes.

Research communications operator duties and responsibilities

Manage busy company switchboard, operating PBX or private branch exchange systems to facilitate connections.
Perform NCIC, DMV, warrant and missing person checks for police officers in the field.
Supervise telecommunication operations and reinforce the confidentiality in telecommunications.
Dispatch ambulances, tow trucks, fire department, aid cars, and other aid as requested, maintain appropriate record.

Prepare your communications operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your communications operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a communications operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable communications operator resume templates

Build a professional communications operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your communications operator resume.