Public safety telecommunicator vs emergency operator

The differences between public safety telecommunicators and emergency operators 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 $38,458 average annual salary of an emergency operator.

The top three skills for a public safety telecommunicator include computer aided dispatch, CAD and criminal justice. The most important skills for an emergency operator are emergency situations, emergency operations, and emergency services.

Public safety telecommunicator vs emergency operator overview

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Emergency Operator
Yearly salary	$40,955	$38,458
Hourly rate	$19.69	$18.49
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	21,538	52,229
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

Public safety telecommunicator vs emergency operator salary

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

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Emergency Operator
Average salary	$40,955	$38,458
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $58,000	Between $26,000 And $56,000
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 operator education

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

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Emergency Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Business
Most common college	-	-

Public safety telecommunicator vs emergency operator demographics

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

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Emergency Operator
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 50.5% Female, 49.5%	Male, 41.1% Female, 58.9%
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 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 operator example responsibilities.

Manage busy company switchboard, operating PBX or private branch exchange systems to facilitate connections.
Utilize CCTV system to monitor and record activity in and around the facility.
Answer emergency calls/dispatch police fire and sheriff, enter and cancel stolen property and vehicles, run criminal history
Certify by APCO as a nationally recognize emergency dispatcher.

Public safety telecommunicator vs emergency 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 operator skills

Emergency Situations, 23%
Emergency Operations, 19%
Emergency Services, 11%
EMS, 8%
Computer Aided Dispatch, 7%
Emergency Response, 6%

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Public Safety Telecommunicator
Public Safety Telecommunicator vs Emergency Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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