Police communications operator vs emergency dispatcher

The differences between police communications operators and emergency dispatchers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a police communications operator has an average salary of $39,636, which is higher than the $36,748 average annual salary of an emergency dispatcher.

The top three skills for a police communications operator include computer aided dispatch, dispatch system and two-way radio. The most important skills for an emergency dispatcher are computer aided dispatch, EMS, and customer service.

Police communications operator vs emergency dispatcher overview

	Police Communications Operator	Emergency Dispatcher
Yearly salary	$39,636	$36,748
Hourly rate	$19.06	$17.67
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	42,992	29,409
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

Police communications operator vs emergency dispatcher salary

Police communications operators and emergency dispatchers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Police Communications Operator	Emergency Dispatcher
Average salary	$39,636	$36,748
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $55,000	Between $27,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	Wheat Ridge, CO	Allentown, PA
Highest paying state	Oregon	Pennsylvania
Best paying company	Georgetown University	Clean Harbors
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between police communications operator and emergency dispatcher education

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

	Police Communications Operator	Emergency Dispatcher
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Police communications operator vs emergency dispatcher demographics

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

	Police Communications Operator	Emergency Dispatcher
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 28.1% Female, 71.9%	Male, 34.8% Female, 65.2%
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 police communications operator and emergency dispatcher duties and responsibilities

Police communications operator example responsibilities.

Manage busy company switchboard, operating PBX or private branch exchange systems to facilitate connections.
Screen, train, test, and certify operators to gain access to LLETS and/or NCIC.
Supervise telecommunication operations and reinforce the confidentiality in telecommunications.
Perform monthly inventory and destruction of COMSEC material while maintaining strict accountability standards.
Control COMSEC for company level operations and follow all destruction and pickup regulations.
Supervise telecommunication operations and reinforce the confidentiality in telecommunications.

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.

Police communications operator vs emergency dispatcher skills

Common police communications operator skills

Computer Aided Dispatch, 17%
Dispatch System, 6%
Two-Way Radio, 6%
CAD, 6%
Computer System, 5%
Criminal Justice, 5%

Common emergency dispatcher skills

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

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Police Communications Operator
Police Communications Operator vs Emergency Dispatcher

Updated January 8, 2025

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