Operations/dispatch vs public safety dispatcher

The differences between operations/dispatches and public safety dispatchers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an operations/dispatch has an average salary of $39,483, which is higher than the $35,063 average annual salary of a public safety dispatcher.

The top three skills for an operations/dispatch include patrol, data entry and computer aided dispatch. The most important skills for a public safety dispatcher are computer aided dispatch, customer service, and CAD.

Operations/dispatch vs public safety dispatcher overview

	Operations/Dispatch	Public Safety Dispatcher
Yearly salary	$39,483	$35,063
Hourly rate	$18.98	$16.86
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	60,313	25,700
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 29%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

What does an operations/dispatch do?

An operations dispatcher is a communication liaison between delivery drivers, customers, and an operations center of a delivery service or distributorship. You should effectively communicate with drivers for timely and efficient deliveries and inform customers of expected times of delivery. Operations dispatchers develop the most efficient delivery routes and keep in touch with drivers throughout a delivery run, monitor any abrupt changes on the routes such as constructions, and work with management to alter set routes to accommodate customer needs.

What does a public safety dispatcher do?

A public safety dispatcher is primarily responsible for handling emergency or non-emergency calls from the public. They are in charge of identifying the caller's needs calmly and proactively, dispatching law enforcement officers or emergency responders at the scene in a timely and efficient manner. They must operate communications equipment, manage schedules, and quickly adapt to any situation as the calls can be unpredictable and critical. Furthermore, as a public safety dispatcher, it is essential to maintain records of all calls and interactions, adhering to the organization's policies and regulations at all times.

Operations/dispatch vs public safety dispatcher salary

Operations/dispatches and public safety dispatchers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Operations/Dispatch	Public Safety Dispatcher
Average salary	$39,483	$35,063
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $54,000	Between $26,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	Fremont, CA	Berkeley, CA
Highest paying state	Pennsylvania	Pennsylvania
Best paying company	AECOM	City of San Jos
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between operations/dispatch and public safety dispatcher education

There are a few differences between an operations/dispatch and a public safety dispatcher in terms of educational background:

	Operations/Dispatch	Public Safety Dispatcher
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 29%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Business	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Operations/dispatch vs public safety dispatcher demographics

Here are the differences between operations/dispatches' and public safety dispatchers' demographics:

	Operations/Dispatch	Public Safety Dispatcher
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 46.9% Female, 53.1%	Male, 37.6% Female, 62.4%
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 operations/dispatch and public safety dispatcher duties and responsibilities

Operations/dispatch example responsibilities.

Manage customer service satisfaction by providing update eta and location of drivers.
Assist A/R with basic accounting issues.
Certify by ACJIC as a NCIC operator.
Call taker job are taking customers calls.
Cross-Train as both call taker and dispatcher.
Dispatch calls to the appropriate agency - police, fire, ems.

Public safety dispatcher example responsibilities.

Manage the response and allocation of police, fire, ems personnel when call for service.
Provide a and CPR instructions.
Conduct layperson CPR instruction to local communities.
Train entry dispatchers on Fire/EMS call taking and dispatching.
Provide determinant dispatch codes base on EMD and EFD standards.
Job duties are the answering, processing and dispatching of police, fire and ems services.

Operations/dispatch vs public safety dispatcher skills

Common operations/dispatch skills

Patrol, 11%
Data Entry, 7%
Computer Aided Dispatch, 7%
Quality Customer Service, 6%
Two-Way Radio, 6%
Emergency Situations, 6%

Common public safety dispatcher skills

Computer Aided Dispatch, 15%
Customer Service, 6%
CAD, 6%
Patrol, 5%
Dispatch System, 4%
NCIC, 3%

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Operations/Dispatch
Operations/Dispatch vs Public Safety Dispatcher

Updated January 8, 2025

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