Public safety telecommunicator vs public safety dispatcher

The differences between public safety telecommunicators and public safety 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 $35,063 average annual salary of a public safety dispatcher.

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

Public safety telecommunicator vs public safety dispatcher overview

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Public Safety Dispatcher
Yearly salary	$40,955	$35,063
Hourly rate	$19.69	$16.86
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	21,538	25,700
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

Public safety telecommunicator vs public safety dispatcher salary

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

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Public Safety Dispatcher
Average salary	$40,955	$35,063
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $58,000	Between $26,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	Elmhurst, IL	Berkeley, CA
Highest paying state	Oregon	Pennsylvania
Best paying company	Rowan University	City of San Jos
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between public safety telecommunicator and public safety dispatcher education

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

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Public Safety Dispatcher
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Public safety telecommunicator vs public safety dispatcher demographics

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

	Public Safety Telecommunicator	Public Safety Dispatcher
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 50.5% Female, 49.5%	Male, 37.6% Female, 62.4%
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 public safety 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.

Public safety dispatcher example responsibilities.

Manage the response and allocation of police, fire, ems personnel when call for service.
Provide a and CPR instructions.
Conduct layperson CPR instruction to local communities.
Train entry dispatchers on Fire/EMS call taking and dispatching.
Provide determinant dispatch codes base on EMD and EFD standards.
Job duties are the answering, processing and dispatching of police, fire and ems services.

Public safety telecommunicator vs public safety 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 public safety dispatcher skills

Computer Aided Dispatch, 15%
Customer Service, 6%
CAD, 6%
Patrol, 5%
Dispatch System, 4%
NCIC, 3%

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Public Safety Telecommunicator
Public Safety Telecommunicator vs Public Safety Dispatcher

Updated January 8, 2025

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