Public safety telecommunicator vs call taker

The differences between public safety telecommunicators and call takers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a public safety telecommunicator has an average salary of $40,955, which is higher than the $38,776 average annual salary of a call taker.

The top three skills for a public safety telecommunicator include computer aided dispatch, CAD and criminal justice. The most important skills for a call taker are computer aided dispatch, taker, and CAD.

Public safety telecommunicator vs call taker overview

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Call Taker
Yearly salary	$40,955	$38,776
Hourly rate	$19.69	$18.64
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	21,538	11,539
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	High School Diploma, 30%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

Public safety telecommunicator vs call taker salary

Public safety telecommunicators and call takers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Call Taker
Average salary	$40,955	$38,776
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $58,000	Between $29,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	Elmhurst, IL	San Mateo, CA
Highest paying state	Oregon	California
Best paying company	Rowan University	City of San Antonio
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between public safety telecommunicator and call taker education

There are a few differences between a public safety telecommunicator and a call taker in terms of educational background:

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Call Taker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	High School Diploma, 30%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Public safety telecommunicator vs call taker demographics

Here are the differences between public safety telecommunicators' and call takers' demographics:

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Call Taker
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 50.5% Female, 49.5%	Male, 26.0% Female, 74.0%
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 telecommunicator and call taker duties and responsibilities

Public safety telecommunicator example responsibilities.

Manage truck and equipment inventory, rental tracking and GPS monitoring.
Certify in CPR and TTY/TDD phone calls.
Assist in patrol of campus during evening hours.
Receive and transmit radio communication to law enforcement agencies and police patrol cars for appropriate action.
Answer emergency calls/dispatch police fire and sheriff, enter and cancel stolen property and vehicles, run criminal history
Handle incoming calls in a busy AAA roadside service call center.

Call taker example responsibilities.

Manage truck and equipment inventory, rental tracking and GPS monitoring.
Dispatch all patrol officers and fire departments.
Enter confidential info through NCIC directly under SLED/FBI.
Place outbound calls to advise members of eta.
Dispatch need help such as fire ems and law.
Receive emergency calls and route calls to patrol units.

Public safety telecommunicator vs call taker skills

Common public safety telecommunicator skills

Computer Aided Dispatch, 17%
CAD, 10%
Criminal Justice, 8%
Emergency Situations, 8%
Patrol, 8%
Data Entry, 6%

Common call taker skills

Computer Aided Dispatch, 15%
Taker, 13%
CAD, 8%
Data Entry, 5%
Customer Service, 5%
EMS, 4%

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Public Safety Telecommunicator
Public Safety Telecommunicator vs Call Taker

Updated January 8, 2025

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