Home › Office and Administrative Support Occupations › Public Safety Telecommunicator

Public Safety Telecommunicator salary in the U.S.

Public Safety Telecommunicators in the U.S. earn a median of $53,040 a year ($25.50 an hour), based on BLS data for 102,500 workers.

Median salary
$53,040
Hourly
$25.50
Average
$56,740
Top 10% earn
$79,830
Workers
102,500

Pay ranges from $37,320 for the lowest-paid 10% to $79,830 for the top 10%. The average (mean) salary is $56,740, above the median because a few high earners pull it up.

Pay range for public safety telecommunicators in the U.S.

$0$90,000
Pay levelYearlyHourly
10th percentile (entry level)$37,320$17.94
25th percentile$45,210$21.74
Median$53,040$25.50
75th percentile$64,260$30.90
90th percentile (top earners)$79,830$38.38
Average (mean)$56,740$27.28

Half of public safety telecommunicators earn more than the median and half earn less. Percentiles show the spread: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, and 10% earn more than the 90th.

Median paycheck, before taxes

Pay periodAmount
Monthly$4,420
Semi-monthly (24 a year)$2,210
Biweekly (26 a year)$2,040
Weekly$1,020
Hourly$25.50

Based on a full-time year of 2,080 hours. Convert any amount with the hourly to salary converter.

Public Safety Telecommunicator salary by state

StateMedian salaryWorkers
California$80,1208,520
Washington$78,8501,980
Oregon$71,9801,110
Alaska$66,660390
Minnesota$66,5501,460
Colorado$63,5201,800
Connecticut$62,4101,820
Massachusetts$61,7202,790
New York$61,4505,470
Illinois$61,2604,350
Nevada$60,0401,010
Wisconsin$60,0001,820
North Dakota$59,940270
Vermont$59,470280
New Jersey$59,2404,010
District of Columbia$59,08060
Maryland$58,9101,610
Rhode Island$58,310370
New Hampshire$58,240560
Ohio$58,1004,550
Maine$57,250730
Hawaii$57,020170
Iowa$56,770980
Arizona$56,6001,790
Utah$54,120880
Michigan$53,3102,100
Delaware$53,140260
Idaho$51,780580
Wyoming$50,600350
Virginia$50,4903,050
Nebraska$50,270750
Florida$50,1706,090
Texas$50,0407,730
Pennsylvania$49,8903,620
New Mexico$49,060640
Indiana$49,0502,150
South Dakota$47,900420
Montana$47,640560
Missouri$46,9902,750
North Carolina$46,5503,730
Tennessee$46,3901,840
Kentucky$45,6701,350
Kansas$45,1101,370
South Carolina$43,5401,490
Georgia$42,7903,480
West Virginia$40,490880
Oklahoma$39,8901,930
Alabama$38,9602,230
Louisiana$38,5501,470
Arkansas$38,2401,460
Mississippi$34,5101,430
Puerto Rico$26,620120

Best-paying metro areas for public safety telecommunicators

Metro areaMedian salaryWorkers
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$113,800400
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$104,9101,110
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA$90,93080
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA$89,09090
Vallejo, CA$87,250200
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA$85,95090
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$84,41090
Anchorage, AK$83,870140
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$83,840150
Napa, CA$82,83080
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$81,990100
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$81,160470
Stockton-Lodi, CA$80,690170
Medford, OR$80,62090
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$80,3702,140

Metro areas with the most public safety telecommunicators

Metro areaWorkersMedian salary
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ5,760$61,450
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN2,730$66,980
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA2,140$80,370
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX1,870$58,280
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD1,750$56,960
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL1,710$57,110
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA1,670$49,170
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH1,660$62,660
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX1,510$50,200
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV1,320$61,260
St. Louis, MO-IL1,110$56,250
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA1,110$104,910
Cleveland, OH1,060$59,440
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA1,040$80,180
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ1,000$59,710

Related jobs in the U.S.

JobMedian salaryHourly
Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks$45,260$21.76
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks$59,650$28.68
Postal Service Mail Carrier$60,550$29.11
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance$50,340$24.20
Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators$58,470$28.11
Cargo and Freight Agents$52,260$25.13
Postal Service Clerk$62,130$29.87
Couriers and Messengers$39,200$18.85
Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping$46,380$22.30
Meter Readers, Utilities$48,150$23.15
Customer Service Representative$44,770$21.53
Office Clerks, General$45,010$21.64
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive$47,540$22.86
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers$69,500$33.41

More: Office and Administrative Support Occupations

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 43-5031. Wages include base pay, tips, commissions and shift pay, but not overtime, bonuses or benefits, and exclude the self-employed.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a public safety telecommunicator make in the U.S.?

The median salary for public safety telecommunicators in the U.S. is $53,040 a year, or $25.50 an hour. Pay ranges from $37,320 for the lowest-paid 10% to $79,830 for the top 10%.

How much do the highest-paid public safety telecommunicators make in the U.S.?

The top 10% of public safety telecommunicators in the U.S. earn at least $79,830 a year. The top 25% earn $64,260 or more.

What is the starting pay for public safety telecommunicators in the U.S.?

Entry-level pay (the 10th percentile) is about $37,320 a year, and a quarter of public safety telecommunicators earn $45,210 or less.

How many public safety telecommunicators work in the U.S.?

About 102,500 public safety telecommunicators are employed in the U.S., not counting the self-employed.