Emergency communications technician vs emergency dispatch operator

The differences between emergency communications technicians and emergency dispatch operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an emergency dispatch operator has an average salary of $45,398, which is higher than the $42,950 average annual salary of an emergency communications technician.

The top three skills for an emergency communications technician include emergency communications, patient care and CPR. The most important skills for an emergency dispatch operator are departmental procedures, emergency dispatch, and customer service.

Emergency communications technician vs emergency dispatch operator overview

	Emergency Communications Technician	Emergency Dispatch Operator
Yearly salary	$42,950	$45,398
Hourly rate	$20.65	$21.83
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	61,970	48,634
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	High School Diploma, 34%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

Emergency communications technician vs emergency dispatch operator salary

Emergency communications technicians and emergency dispatch operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Emergency Communications Technician	Emergency Dispatch Operator
Average salary	$42,950	$45,398
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $60,000	Between $32,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between emergency communications technician and emergency dispatch operator education

There are a few differences between an emergency communications technician and an emergency dispatch operator in terms of educational background:

	Emergency Communications Technician	Emergency Dispatch Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	High School Diploma, 34%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Business
Most common college	-	-

Emergency communications technician vs emergency dispatch operator demographics

Here are the differences between emergency communications technicians' and emergency dispatch operators' demographics:

	Emergency Communications Technician	Emergency Dispatch Operator
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 34.1% Female, 65.9%	Male, 29.8% Female, 70.2%
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 emergency communications technician and emergency dispatch operator duties and responsibilities

Emergency communications technician example responsibilities.

Compile a supplementary report for incorrect VCIN codes.
Coordinate emergency services for police, fire and ambulances.
Assist and independently train new hires and senior management on new protocols, CPR, and EMD software.
Maintain composure and compassion while handling emergency and non-emergency calls from a diverse community
Receive training regarding updates and changes of policies, procedure and regulations to CJIS.

Emergency dispatch operator example responsibilities.

Train in first responder, CPR, hazmat, wreckmaster.
Educate customers in event history, update data, and troubleshoot their alarm system.
Analyze, troubleshoot and resolve customer telephone inquiries regarding billing issues, service offerings, and equipment usage.
Deploy fire, police, EMT workers to designate locations to assist with crime, injuries, or fire.
Have current appropriate plans, procedures, guidance and laws issue by the county and FEMA available within the EOC.
Answer emergency calls/dispatch police fire and sheriff, enter and cancel stolen property and vehicles, run criminal history

Emergency communications technician vs emergency dispatch operator skills

Common emergency communications technician skills

Emergency Communications, 12%
Patient Care, 12%
CPR, 9%
Computer Aided Dispatch, 9%
Data Entry, 7%
Medical Services, 7%

Common emergency dispatch operator skills

Departmental Procedures, 15%
Emergency Dispatch, 13%
Customer Service, 11%
Inbound Calls, 10%
Outbound Calls, 10%
Customer Satisfaction, 6%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Emergency Communications Technician
Emergency Communications Technician vs Emergency Dispatch Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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