Public safety telecommunicator vs police dispatcher

The differences between public safety telecommunicators and police 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 $37,402 average annual salary of a police dispatcher.

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

Public safety telecommunicator vs police dispatcher overview

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Police Dispatcher
Yearly salary	$40,955	$37,402
Hourly rate	$19.69	$17.98
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	21,538	6,964
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

Public safety telecommunicator vs police dispatcher salary

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

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Police Dispatcher
Average salary	$40,955	$37,402
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $58,000	Between $28,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	Elmhurst, IL	Philadelphia, PA
Highest paying state	Oregon	Pennsylvania
Best paying company	Rowan University	City of Seattle
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between public safety telecommunicator and police dispatcher education

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

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Police Dispatcher
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Public safety telecommunicator vs police dispatcher demographics

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

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Police Dispatcher
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 50.5% Female, 49.5%	Male, 35.6% Female, 64.4%
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 police 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.

Police dispatcher example responsibilities.

Rout dispatch calls to police, EMT, and fire departments.
Dispatch and answer phones for police, fire and ems units to calls for emergency and non-emergency situations.
Work with programs such as NCIS/LEAPS, CJIS and IMC.
Assist with completion of subpoenas and warrants.
Respond to emergency calls and dispatch appropriate police and EMT units.
Conduct the operations of radio, telephone, and cad computer systems.

Public safety telecommunicator vs police 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 police dispatcher skills

Computer Aided Dispatch, 15%
Patrol, 8%
CAD, 7%
NCIC, 6%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 6%
Dispatch System, 4%

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Public Safety Telecommunicator
Public Safety Telecommunicator vs Police Dispatcher

Updated January 8, 2025

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