Public safety telecommunicator vs emergency medical dispatcher

The differences between public safety telecommunicators and emergency medical 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 $38,255 average annual salary of an emergency medical 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 medical dispatcher are EMT, computer aided dispatch, and EMS.

Public safety telecommunicator vs emergency medical dispatcher overview

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Emergency Medical Dispatcher
Yearly salary	$40,955	$38,255
Hourly rate	$19.69	$18.39
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	21,538	69,103
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 29%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

Public safety telecommunicator vs emergency medical dispatcher salary

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

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Emergency Medical Dispatcher
Average salary	$40,955	$38,255
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $58,000	Between $30,000 And $47,000
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 medical dispatcher education

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

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Emergency Medical Dispatcher
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 29%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Public safety telecommunicator vs emergency medical dispatcher demographics

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

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Emergency Medical Dispatcher
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 50.5% Female, 49.5%	Male, 35.8% Female, 64.2%
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 medical 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 medical dispatcher example responsibilities.

Train new EMT students, and dispatchers in patient care, emergency call taking and operations.
Dispatch fire police sheriff and medical using the cad system.
Provide medical instructions to callers on issues such as childbirth and CPR.
Dispatch appropriate units according to acuity level, availability and location; assist with CPR until units arrive at location.
Develop and implement departments EMD program.
Dispatch ambulances as necessary and in accordance with state and company standard operating procedures.

Public safety telecommunicator vs emergency medical 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 medical dispatcher skills

EMT, 11%
Computer Aided Dispatch, 10%
EMS, 8%
CAD, 8%
EMD, 7%
CPR, 7%

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Public Safety Telecommunicator
Public Safety Telecommunicator vs Emergency Medical Dispatcher

Updated January 8, 2025

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