Police communications operator vs police dispatcher

The differences between police communications operators and police 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 $37,402 average annual salary of a police 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 a police dispatcher are computer aided dispatch, patrol, and CAD.

Police communications operator vs police dispatcher overview

	Police Communications Operator	Police Dispatcher
Yearly salary	$39,636	$37,402
Hourly rate	$19.06	$17.98
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	42,992	6,964
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

Police communications operator vs police dispatcher salary

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

	Police Communications Operator	Police Dispatcher
Average salary	$39,636	$37,402
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $55,000	Between $28,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	Wheat Ridge, CO	Philadelphia, PA
Highest paying state	Oregon	Pennsylvania
Best paying company	Georgetown University	City of Seattle
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between police communications operator and police dispatcher education

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

	Police Communications Operator	Police Dispatcher
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Police communications operator vs police dispatcher demographics

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

	Police Communications Operator	Police Dispatcher
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 28.1% Female, 71.9%	Male, 35.6% Female, 64.4%
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 police communications operator and police 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.

Police dispatcher example responsibilities.

Rout dispatch calls to police, EMT, and fire departments.
Dispatch and answer phones for police, fire and ems units to calls for emergency and non-emergency situations.
Work with programs such as NCIS/LEAPS, CJIS and IMC.
Assist with completion of subpoenas and warrants.
Respond to emergency calls and dispatch appropriate police and EMT units.
Conduct the operations of radio, telephone, and cad computer systems.

Police communications operator vs police 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 police dispatcher skills

Computer Aided Dispatch, 15%
Patrol, 8%
CAD, 7%
NCIC, 6%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 6%
Dispatch System, 4%

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Police Communications Operator
Police Communications Operator vs Police Dispatcher

Updated January 8, 2025

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