U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
PRINT:Print
OEWS OEWS Program Links

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

43-5031 Public Safety Telecommunicators

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.

National estimates for Public Safety Telecommunicators
Industry profile for Public Safety Telecommunicators
Geographic profile for Public Safety Telecommunicators

National estimates for Public Safety Telecommunicators:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Public Safety Telecommunicators:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) 		Mean hourly
wage		 Mean annual
wage (2) 		Wage RSE (3)
93,290 1.0 % $ 22.02 $ 45,800 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for Public Safety Telecommunicators:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 13.48 $ 16.65 $ 20.82 $ 26.14 $ 32.29
Annual Wage (2) $ 28,040 $ 34,630 $ 43,290 $ 54,370 $ 67,150

Industry profile for Public Safety Telecommunicators:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Public Safety Telecommunicators are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Public Safety Telecommunicators, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Public Safety Telecommunicators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 74,300 1.37 $ 22.08 $ 45,930
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 5,640 1.83 $ 19.77 $ 41,120
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 5,540 0.25 $ 24.92 $ 51,830
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 2,340 0.08 $ 21.11 $ 43,910
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 2,190 0.04 $ 19.97 $ 41,530

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Public Safety Telecommunicators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 5,640 1.83 $ 19.77 $ 41,120
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 74,300 1.37 $ 22.08 $ 45,930
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 5,540 0.25 $ 24.92 $ 51,830
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 2,340 0.08 $ 21.11 $ 43,910
Other Support Services 220 0.07 $ 23.15 $ 48,150

Top paying industries for Public Safety Telecommunicators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals 60 0.02 $ 30.56 $ 63,560
Management of Companies and Enterprises (8) (8) $ 26.44 $ 54,990
Business Support Services (8) (8) $ 24.93 $ 51,850
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 5,540 0.25 $ 24.92 $ 51,830
Employment Services 110 (7) $ 24.43 $ 50,810

Geographic profile for Public Safety Telecommunicators:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Public Safety Telecommunicators are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Public Safety Telecommunicators, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in Public Safety Telecommunicators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 7,710 0.64 0.95 $ 19.11 $ 39,740
California 7,130 0.43 0.65 $ 33.14 $ 68,930
New York 5,300 0.61 0.91 $ 24.48 $ 50,910
Florida 4,860 0.58 0.86 $ 21.39 $ 44,480
Ohio 4,450 0.87 1.29 $ 22.79 $ 47,400




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Public Safety Telecommunicators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alabama 2,390 1.26 1.87 $ 16.15 $ 33,590
Mississippi 1,290 1.20 1.79 $ 13.70 $ 28,500
New Jersey 4,220 1.12 1.66 $ 23.43 $ 48,730
New Hampshire 650 1.05 1.57 $ 22.86 $ 47,550
Vermont 300 1.05 1.57 $ 22.69 $ 47,190




Top paying states for Public Safety Telecommunicators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 7,130 0.43 0.65 $ 33.14 $ 68,930
Alaska 280 0.93 1.39 $ 29.64 $ 61,640
Washington 1,510 0.47 0.70 $ 29.59 $ 61,550
Oregon 1,030 0.57 0.85 $ 27.90 $ 58,030
Connecticut 1,070 0.69 1.03 $ 27.61 $ 57,430





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Public Safety Telecommunicators:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 6,220 0.70 1.05 $ 24.28 $ 50,500
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 2,390 0.55 0.82 $ 28.69 $ 59,670
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,930 0.54 0.80 $ 20.32 $ 42,270
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,800 0.69 1.03 $ 25.17 $ 52,350
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,720 0.30 0.44 $ 33.49 $ 69,660
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 1,670 0.63 0.95 $ 18.13 $ 37,710
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 1,610 0.60 0.89 $ 23.59 $ 49,080
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 1,450 0.58 0.86 $ 27.19 $ 56,550
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 1,430 0.68 1.01 $ 22.20 $ 46,180
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 1,410 0.48 0.71 $ 21.09 $ 43,870




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Public Safety Telecommunicators:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hinesville, GA 60 3.61 5.38 $ 14.55 $ 30,260
Gadsden, AL 70 2.10 3.13 $ 14.91 $ 31,010
Ocean City, NJ 70 2.09 3.12 $ 20.30 $ 42,220
Jefferson City, MO 140 1.93 2.87 (8) (8)
Anniston-Oxford-Jacksonville, AL 80 1.90 2.84 $ 16.48 $ 34,280
Fort Smith, AR-OK 200 1.89 2.82 $ 12.53 $ 26,070
Redding, CA 110 1.78 2.65 $ 27.32 $ 56,820
Kingston, NY 100 1.78 2.65 $ 21.84 $ 45,420
Decatur, AL 90 1.75 2.61 $ 18.18 $ 37,810
Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL 130 1.73 2.58 $ 17.78 $ 36,980