Public safety telecommunicator vs emergency dispatcher

The differences between public safety telecommunicators and emergency dispatchers 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 $36,748 average annual salary of an emergency dispatcher.

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

Public safety telecommunicator vs emergency dispatcher overview

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Emergency Dispatcher
Yearly salary	$40,955	$36,748
Hourly rate	$19.69	$17.67
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	21,538	29,409
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

Public safety telecommunicator vs emergency dispatcher salary

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

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Emergency Dispatcher
Average salary	$40,955	$36,748
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $58,000	Between $27,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	Elmhurst, IL	Allentown, PA
Highest paying state	Oregon	Pennsylvania
Best paying company	Rowan University	Clean Harbors
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between public safety telecommunicator and emergency dispatcher education

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

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Emergency Dispatcher
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Public safety telecommunicator vs emergency dispatcher demographics

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

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Emergency Dispatcher
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 50.5% Female, 49.5%	Male, 34.8% Female, 65.2%
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 dispatcher 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 dispatcher example responsibilities.

Perform (EMD) emergency medical dispatch procedures until the police, fire fighters or paramedics arrive.
Receive emergency and non emergency calls via telephone, TDD or radio.
Assist with over the phone medical instruction, CPR instruction, and traumatic emergencies.
Coordinate response of ambulances and public safety units to emergency sites or in-progress crime situations.
Coordinate response of ambulances, fire, and police units to emergencies and in-progress crime situations.
Assist with leading callers through various procedures such as CPR while waiting for units to arrive on scene.

Public safety telecommunicator vs emergency dispatcher 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 dispatcher skills

Computer Aided Dispatch, 12%
EMS, 6%
Customer Service, 6%
CAD, 6%
Public Safety Agencies, 6%
Non-Emergency Telephone Calls, 6%

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Public Safety Telecommunicator
Public Safety Telecommunicator vs Emergency Dispatcher

Updated January 8, 2025

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