What the work involves, what it pays, and real lines you can start from. Answer a few small questions and leave with a resume.
Also called 911 telecommunicator, police telecommunicator, telecommunicator and 911 dispatcher.
Pay and headcount are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lines are written from what the US Department of Labor records about this work.
An example
Every line below comes from the same public record as the rest of this page. The greyed parts are the ones only you can answer.
Public Safety Telecommunicator
Public Safety Telecommunicator operating communication systems to receive and relay emergency and non-emergency calls, gather information from the public, and support law enforcement and emergency response teams
Where you worked
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becomes
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The line
Asked callers detailed questions to assess emergencies, leading to quicker response times for urgent situations
Show what improved once you assessed the emergencies.
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Adding it to the line…
The line
Managed emergency and non-emergency calls, assessing situations to determine appropriate responses.
Add how often you managed calls each shift.
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Adding it to the line…
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The work itself
The public record of what this job is, in one paragraph.
Operate telephone, radio, or other communication systems to receive and communicate requests for emergency assistance at 9-1-1 public safety answering points and emergency operations centers. Take information from the public and other sources regarding crimes, threats, disturbances, acts of terrorism, fires, medical emergencies, and other public safety matters. May coordinate and provide information to law enforcement and emergency response personnel. May access sensitive databases and other information sources as needed. May provide additional instructions to callers based on knowledge of and certification in law enforcement, fire, or emergency medical procedures.
What it pays
Annual pay across the United States. The middle figure is the median: half earn less than that, and half earn more.
| 25th percentile | $45,210 |
|---|---|
| Median | $53,040 |
| 75th percentile | $64,260 |
| State | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| AK | $57,900 | $66,660 | $83,530 |
| AL | $34,340 | $38,960 | $47,390 |
| AR | $34,580 | $38,240 | $42,970 |
| AZ | $49,520 | $56,600 | $62,220 |
| CA | $64,250 | $80,120 | $96,660 |
| CO | $57,710 | $63,520 | $75,790 |
| CT | $57,700 | $62,410 | $72,360 |
| DC | $50,650 | $59,080 | $64,940 |
| DE | $48,700 | $53,140 | $66,850 |
| FL | $44,990 | $50,170 | $61,270 |
| GA | $37,290 | $42,790 | $49,670 |
| HI | $52,070 | $57,020 | $65,380 |
| IA | $50,620 | $56,770 | $63,260 |
| ID | $48,090 | $51,780 | $62,920 |
| IL | $48,620 | $61,260 | $80,470 |
| IN | $44,400 | $49,050 | $58,610 |
| KS | $37,450 | $45,110 | $48,540 |
| KY | $35,770 | $45,670 | $54,390 |
| LA | $31,680 | $38,550 | $48,660 |
| MA | $52,510 | $61,720 | $68,090 |
| MD | $50,190 | $58,910 | $66,630 |
| ME | $48,400 | $57,250 | $63,280 |
| MI | $46,730 | $53,310 | $63,110 |
| MN | $62,730 | $66,550 | $77,960 |
| MO | $39,190 | $46,990 | $56,250 |
| MS | $30,300 | $34,510 | $38,730 |
| MT | $43,860 | $47,640 | $56,870 |
| NC | $40,540 | $46,550 | $49,930 |
| ND | $49,670 | $59,940 | $61,250 |
| NE | $47,160 | $50,270 | $60,660 |
| NH | $50,630 | $58,240 | $62,680 |
| NJ | $49,230 | $59,240 | $70,920 |
| NM | $39,970 | $49,060 | $57,810 |
| NV | $45,170 | $60,040 | $71,900 |
| NY | $49,710 | $61,450 | $66,960 |
| OH | $47,430 | $58,100 | $63,320 |
| OK | $35,060 | $39,890 | $47,620 |
| OR | $61,140 | $71,980 | $83,390 |
| PA | $45,090 | $49,890 | $60,320 |
| PR | $24,420 | $26,620 | $27,530 |
| RI | $52,520 | $58,310 | $63,160 |
| SC | $37,590 | $43,540 | $48,780 |
| SD | $41,570 | $47,900 | $54,290 |
| TN | $39,480 | $46,390 | $57,920 |
| TX | $44,640 | $50,040 | $60,200 |
| UT | $50,520 | $54,120 | $63,730 |
| VA | $44,220 | $50,490 | $60,690 |
| VT | $49,880 | $59,470 | $64,860 |
| WA | $66,500 | $78,850 | $84,640 |
| WI | $51,360 | $60,000 | $63,910 |
| WV | $36,790 | $40,490 | $47,650 |
| WY | $48,690 | $50,600 | $58,660 |
Other names
911 telecommunicator, police telecommunicator, telecommunicator, 911 dispatcher, 911 emergency dispatcher, 911 emergency services dispatcher, 911 operator, alarm operator, ambulance dispatcher, call person, call taker, communications dispatcher.
communications officer, communications operator, communications specialist, dispatch officer, dispatch operator, dispatch specialist, dispatch tech, dispatch technician, dispatcher, emergency communications dispatcher, emergency communications officer, ECO, emergency communications operator, emergency dispatcher, emergency medical dispatcher, EMD, emergency operator, emergency services dispatcher, emergency telecommunications dispatcher, ETD, emergency vehicle dispatcher, fire dispatcher, fire fighters dispatcher, forest fire fighters dispatcher, police and fire dispatcher, police communications dispatcher, police communications operator, police dispatcher, police radio dispatcher, protective signal operator, public safety dispatcher, radio dispatcher, security dispatch officer, security dispatcher, telecommunications officer, telecommunications operator, telecommunications specialist.
If you served
From the crosswalk the US Department of Labor publishes itself. If one of these was your job, this page is about the civilian work it maps to.
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This page is about the occupation Public Safety Telecommunicators. What this job involves and what it is made of come from O*NET 30.3, the US Department of Labor's occupation database, refreshed July 2026; Rung writes those records into the plain sentences you see. Pay comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS release for 2025. Rung is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by either agency. How Rung handles accuracy is on the accuracy page, and the full data credits are on the credits page.