Emergency dispatcher vs emergency communications officer

The differences between emergency dispatchers and emergency communications officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an emergency communications officer has an average salary of $39,422, which is higher than the $36,748 average annual salary of an emergency dispatcher.

The top three skills for an emergency dispatcher include computer aided dispatch, EMS and customer service. The most important skills for an emergency communications officer are patrol, computer aided dispatch, and emergency situations.

Emergency dispatcher vs emergency communications officer overview

	Emergency Dispatcher	Emergency Communications Officer
Yearly salary	$36,748	$39,422
Hourly rate	$17.67	$18.95
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	29,409	93,158
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

Emergency dispatcher vs emergency communications officer salary

Emergency dispatchers and emergency communications officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Emergency Dispatcher	Emergency Communications Officer
Average salary	$36,748	$39,422
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $49,000	Between $28,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	Allentown, PA	Bloomington, IL
Highest paying state	Pennsylvania	Oregon
Best paying company	Clean Harbors	City of Austin
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between emergency dispatcher and emergency communications officer education

There are a few differences between an emergency dispatcher and an emergency communications officer in terms of educational background:

	Emergency Dispatcher	Emergency Communications Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Emergency dispatcher vs emergency communications officer demographics

Here are the differences between emergency dispatchers' and emergency communications officers' demographics:

	Emergency Dispatcher	Emergency Communications Officer
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 34.8% Female, 65.2%	Male, 43.1% Female, 56.9%
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 dispatcher and emergency communications officer duties and responsibilities

Emergency dispatcher example responsibilities.

Perform (EMD) emergency medical dispatch procedures until the police, fire fighters or paramedics arrive.
Receive emergency and non emergency calls via telephone, TDD or radio.
Assist with over the phone medical instruction, CPR instruction, and traumatic emergencies.
Coordinate response of ambulances and public safety units to emergency sites or in-progress crime situations.
Coordinate response of ambulances, fire, and police units to emergencies and in-progress crime situations.
Assist with leading callers through various procedures such as CPR while waiting for units to arrive on scene.

Emergency communications officer example responsibilities.

Dispatch all patrol units to calls for service.
Monitor Fire/EMS calls of adjacent jurisdictions.
Maintain composure and compassion while handling emergency and non-emergency calls from a diverse community
Retrieve sensitive information such as, DMV files and background histories.
Insert foley catheter or straight cath a patient as directed.
Receive training regarding updates and changes of policies, procedure and regulations to CJIS.

Emergency dispatcher vs emergency communications officer skills

Common emergency dispatcher skills

Computer Aided Dispatch, 12%
EMS, 6%
Customer Service, 6%
CAD, 6%
Public Safety Agencies, 6%
Non-Emergency Telephone Calls, 6%

Common emergency communications officer skills

Patrol, 20%
Computer Aided Dispatch, 10%
Emergency Situations, 7%
CPR, 6%
CAD, 6%
EMS, 6%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Emergency Dispatcher
Emergency Dispatcher vs Emergency Communications Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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