Public safety dispatcher vs emergency telecommunications dispatcher

The differences between public safety 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 $35,063 average annual salary of a public safety dispatcher.

The top three skills for a public safety dispatcher include computer aided dispatch, customer service and CAD. The most important skills for an emergency telecommunications dispatcher are EMS, computer aided dispatch, and CPR.

Public safety dispatcher vs emergency telecommunications dispatcher overview

	Public Safety Dispatcher	Emergency Telecommunications Dispatcher
Yearly salary	$35,063	$38,561
Hourly rate	$16.86	$18.54
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	25,700	27,658
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

Public safety dispatcher vs emergency telecommunications dispatcher salary

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

	Public Safety Dispatcher	Emergency Telecommunications Dispatcher
Average salary	$35,063	$38,561
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $46,000	Between $28,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	Berkeley, CA	-
Highest paying state	Pennsylvania	-
Best paying company	City of San Jos	-
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between public safety dispatcher and emergency telecommunications dispatcher education

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

	Public Safety Dispatcher	Emergency Telecommunications Dispatcher
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Public safety dispatcher vs emergency telecommunications dispatcher demographics

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

	Public Safety Dispatcher	Emergency Telecommunications Dispatcher
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 37.6% Female, 62.4%	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 public safety dispatcher and emergency telecommunications dispatcher duties and responsibilities

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.

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.

Public safety dispatcher vs emergency telecommunications dispatcher skills

Common public safety dispatcher skills

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

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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Public Safety Dispatcher vs Emergency Telecommunications Dispatcher

Updated January 8, 2025

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