Public safety telecommunicator vs emergency dispatch operator

The differences between public safety telecommunicators and emergency dispatch operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an emergency dispatch operator has an average salary of $45,398, which is higher than the $40,955 average annual salary of a public safety telecommunicator.

The top three skills for a public safety telecommunicator include computer aided dispatch, CAD and criminal justice. The most important skills for an emergency dispatch operator are departmental procedures, emergency dispatch, and customer service.

Public safety telecommunicator vs emergency dispatch operator overview

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Emergency Dispatch Operator
Yearly salary	$40,955	$45,398
Hourly rate	$19.69	$21.83
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	21,538	48,634
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	High School Diploma, 34%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

Public safety telecommunicator vs emergency dispatch operator salary

Public safety telecommunicators and emergency dispatch operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Emergency Dispatch Operator
Average salary	$40,955	$45,398
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $58,000	Between $32,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City	Elmhurst, IL	-
Highest paying state	Oregon	-
Best paying company	Rowan University	-
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between public safety telecommunicator and emergency dispatch operator education

There are a few differences between a public safety telecommunicator and an emergency dispatch operator in terms of educational background:

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Emergency Dispatch Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	High School Diploma, 34%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Business
Most common college	-	-

Public safety telecommunicator vs emergency dispatch operator demographics

Here are the differences between public safety telecommunicators' and emergency dispatch operators' demographics:

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Emergency Dispatch Operator
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 50.5% Female, 49.5%	Male, 29.8% Female, 70.2%
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 public safety telecommunicator and emergency dispatch operator 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.

Emergency dispatch operator example responsibilities.

Train in first responder, CPR, hazmat, wreckmaster.
Educate customers in event history, update data, and troubleshoot their alarm system.
Analyze, troubleshoot and resolve customer telephone inquiries regarding billing issues, service offerings, and equipment usage.
Deploy fire, police, EMT workers to designate locations to assist with crime, injuries, or fire.
Have current appropriate plans, procedures, guidance and laws issue by the county and FEMA available within the EOC.
Answer emergency calls/dispatch police fire and sheriff, enter and cancel stolen property and vehicles, run criminal history

Public safety telecommunicator vs emergency dispatch operator skills

Common public safety telecommunicator skills

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

Common emergency dispatch operator skills

Departmental Procedures, 15%
Emergency Dispatch, 13%
Customer Service, 11%
Inbound Calls, 10%
Outbound Calls, 10%
Customer Satisfaction, 6%

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Public Safety Telecommunicator
Public Safety Telecommunicator vs Emergency Dispatch Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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