Telecommunicator vs emergency medical dispatcher

The differences between telecommunicators and emergency medical dispatchers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a telecommunicator has an average salary of $39,327, which is higher than the $38,255 average annual salary of an emergency medical dispatcher.

The top three skills for a telecommunicator include computer aided dispatch, CAD and EMS. The most important skills for an emergency medical dispatcher are EMT, computer aided dispatch, and EMS.

Telecommunicator vs emergency medical dispatcher overview

	Telecommunicator	Emergency Medical Dispatcher
Yearly salary	$39,327	$38,255
Hourly rate	$18.91	$18.39
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	4,083	69,103
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 29%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	-	-

Telecommunicator vs emergency medical dispatcher salary

Telecommunicators and emergency medical dispatchers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Telecommunicator	Emergency Medical Dispatcher
Average salary	$39,327	$38,255
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $53,000	Between $30,000 And $47,000
Highest paying City	Stockton, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	City of Detroit	-
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between telecommunicator and emergency medical dispatcher education

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

	Telecommunicator	Emergency Medical Dispatcher
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 29%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Telecommunicator vs emergency medical dispatcher demographics

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

	Telecommunicator	Emergency Medical Dispatcher
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 29.0% Female, 71.0%	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 telecommunicator and emergency medical dispatcher duties and responsibilities

Telecommunicator example responsibilities.

Help organize telecommunication PSAP and back-up PSAP weekly.
Use NCIC and FCIC and provide accurate information for search.
Provide CPR instructions over the phone until emergency personnel arrive at location.
Monitor radio communications at the same time and update cad throughout emergency.
Monitor activities of officers on patrol and makes radio contact to ensure safety.
Maintain licenses to NCIC, FCIC, NLETS and other law enforcement information network.

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.

Telecommunicator vs emergency medical dispatcher skills

Common telecommunicator skills

Computer Aided Dispatch, 14%
CAD, 7%
EMS, 6%
NCIC, 6%
Patrol, 4%
Dispatch System, 4%

Common emergency medical dispatcher skills

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

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Telecommunicator vs Emergency Medical Dispatcher

Updated January 8, 2025

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