Police dispatcher vs emergency telecommunications dispatcher

The differences between police dispatchers and emergency telecommunications dispatchers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an emergency telecommunications dispatcher has an average salary of $38,561, which is higher than the $37,402 average annual salary of a police dispatcher.

The top three skills for a police dispatcher include computer aided dispatch, patrol and CAD. The most important skills for an emergency telecommunications dispatcher are EMS, computer aided dispatch, and CPR.

Police dispatcher vs emergency telecommunications dispatcher overview

	Police Dispatcher	Emergency Telecommunications Dispatcher
Yearly salary	$37,402	$38,561
Hourly rate	$17.98	$18.54
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	6,964	27,658
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 38%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

Police dispatcher vs emergency telecommunications dispatcher salary

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

	Police Dispatcher	Emergency Telecommunications Dispatcher
Average salary	$37,402	$38,561
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $48,000	Between $28,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	Philadelphia, PA	-
Highest paying state	Pennsylvania	-
Best paying company	City of Seattle	-
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between police dispatcher and emergency telecommunications dispatcher education

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

	Police Dispatcher	Emergency Telecommunications Dispatcher
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 38%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Police dispatcher vs emergency telecommunications dispatcher demographics

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

	Police Dispatcher	Emergency Telecommunications Dispatcher
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 35.6% Female, 64.4%	Male, 27.9% Female, 72.1%
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 dispatcher and emergency telecommunications dispatcher duties and responsibilities

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.

Emergency telecommunications dispatcher example responsibilities.

Perform EMD protocols for injure subscribers.
Provide assistance in accordance with state mandates of EMD.
Provide medical instruction to those on the scene of the emergency until the EMT's arrive.
Display patience, caring, and understanding until police, fire, or ems arrive on the scene.
Help the caller stay calm if need and give verbal directions such as CPR, gunshot victim, seizures, etc.
Operate NC DCI system within DCI and agency protocols, disseminate information to appropriate officers, and effect entries into NCIC.

Police dispatcher vs emergency telecommunications dispatcher skills

Common police dispatcher skills

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

Common emergency telecommunications dispatcher skills

EMS, 13%
Computer Aided Dispatch, 11%
CPR, 9%
Public Safety Agencies, 7%
CAD, 6%
NCIC, 5%

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Police Dispatcher
Police Dispatcher vs Emergency Telecommunications Dispatcher

Updated January 8, 2025

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