Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Moderate-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
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Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Public safety telecommunicators support emergency response by handling communications and coordination needs. Nationally, this occupation employs 105,000 workers, indicating a substantial workforce across the country. The typical entry point is accessible, with a high school diploma or equivalent as the standard education requirement. The national median annual salary is $50,730, and there are an estimated 11,000 annual openings, suggesting ongoing replacement and hiring needs. A projected employment growth rate of 3.5% points to continued demand rather than a shrinking field. Strong skills in customer service, speaking and listening, problem solving and decision making, and critical and analytical thinking are important for success, along with comfort using computers and information technology. People considering this career can also explore related paths such as probation officers and correctional treatment specialists, detectives and criminal investigators, transit and railroad police, police and sheriff’s patrol officers, and first-line supervisors of entertainment and recreation workers, except gambling services as alternative options.
The national median annual salary for public safety telecommunicators is $50,730. Earnings can vary significantly by location. Among the top states by opportunity score, California stands out with a median salary of $80,120, and Washington is also relatively high at $78,850. Massachusetts and New York offer median salaries in the low $60,000s, at $61,720 and $61,450 respectively, while Colorado is at $63,520. At the metro level, some areas report especially high pay. The San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA metro has a median salary of $113,800, and the San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA metro reports $104,910. Other leading metros such as New York–Newark–Jersey City, Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, and Boston–Cambridge–Newton have median salaries in the low $60,000s. This shows that geographic choice can have a major influence on earning potential within this career.
Public safety telecommunicators have national employment of 105,000, with projected employment growth of 3.5%. This projected increase, while modest, indicates expectations for continued demand over time rather than contraction. The occupation is also projected to have about 11,000 annual openings. These openings can come from a combination of growth and the need to replace workers who leave positions. The presence of both a defined growth rate and a consistent flow of openings suggests that opportunities to enter or advance in the field should continue to appear. For individuals interested in justice- or safety-related careers, this role exists alongside other options such as probation officers and correctional treatment specialists, detectives and criminal investigators, transit and railroad police, police and sheriff’s patrol officers, and first-line supervisors of entertainment and recreation workers, except gambling services, all of which can be considered when evaluating long-term career plans and labor-market prospects.
Location plays a significant role in the opportunities available to public safety telecommunicators. Among states, California has an opportunity score of 67.38, with a median salary of $80,120 and employment of 8,520. Massachusetts and New York each have opportunity scores around 66, with median salaries of $61,720 and $61,450, and employment levels of 2,790 and 5,470 respectively. Colorado and Washington also appear as strong options, with opportunity scores in the mid-50s and median salaries above $60,000. At the metro level, differences are even more pronounced. San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA leads with an opportunity score of 77.42, a median salary of $113,800, and employment of 400. The New York–Newark–Jersey City metro also scores highly at 77.27, with 5,760 employed. Other metros such as San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, and Boston–Cambridge–Newton offer opportunity scores in the mid-60s and median salaries mostly in the $60,000–$100,000 range, underscoring how certain urban areas can combine higher pay with solid opportunity scores.
Public safety telecommunicators typically enter the field with a high school diploma or equivalent. This education requirement makes the role accessible to individuals who have not pursued a four-year college degree. However, success in this occupation is strongly tied to a well-developed skill set. Key skills include customer service and interpersonal abilities, which support effective interactions with the public and colleagues. Speaking and listening skills are essential for clear communication, while being detail oriented and adaptable helps in managing information accurately in changing situations. Comfort with computers and information technology is also important, reflecting the tools used in this work. Problem solving and decision making, critical and analytical thinking, leadership, and project management skills contribute to handling complex situations and responsibilities. Together, these skills complement the baseline education requirement and shape readiness for both entry-level roles and longer-term growth within the occupation.
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