Public Safety Telecommunicators Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for public safety telecommunicatorss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $56,740 ≈ $27/hr
National median salary $53,040
Total employment 102,500 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +3.5%
About as fast as average
Annual openings 10,700 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 105,200 → 108,900 (+3,600)
Typical entry education High school diploma or equivalent
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- California$81,520
- Washington$76,460
- Oregon$72,880
- Alaska$69,910
- Minnesota$69,740
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Mississippi$36,530
- Arkansas$39,270
- Alabama$41,260
- West Virginia$41,650
- Louisiana$42,070
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $81,520 | $80,120 | $39 | +43.7% | 8,520 |
| 2 | Washington | $76,460 | $78,850 | $37 | +34.8% | 1,980 |
| 3 | Oregon | $72,880 | $71,980 | $35 | +28.4% | 1,110 |
| 4 | Alaska | $69,910 | $66,660 | $34 | +23.2% | 390 |
| 5 | Minnesota | $69,740 | $66,550 | $34 | +22.9% | 1,460 |
| 6 | Colorado | $65,190 | $63,520 | $31 | +14.9% | 1,800 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $63,870 | $62,410 | $31 | +12.6% | 1,820 |
| 8 | Illinois | $63,570 | $61,260 | $31 | +12% | 4,350 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $62,680 | $61,720 | $30 | +10.5% | 2,790 |
| 10 | New York | $61,970 | $61,450 | $30 | +9.2% | 5,470 |
| 11 | Nevada | $61,580 | $60,040 | $30 | +8.5% | 1,010 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $60,860 | $59,240 | $29 | +7.3% | 4,010 |
| 13 | Maryland | $60,420 | $58,910 | $29 | +6.5% | 1,610 |
| 14 | Vermont | $59,460 | $59,470 | $29 | +4.8% | 280 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | $59,040 | $60,000 | $28 | +4.1% | 1,820 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $58,910 | $57,020 | $28 | +3.8% | 170 |
| 17 | District of Columbia | $58,870 | $59,080 | $28 | +3.8% | 60 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $58,840 | $58,310 | $28 | +3.7% | 370 |
| 19 | Delaware | $58,710 | $53,140 | $28 | +3.5% | 260 |
| 20 | Utah | $57,920 | $54,120 | $28 | +2.1% | 880 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $57,710 | $59,940 | $28 | +1.7% | 270 |
| 22 | Arizona | $57,660 | $56,600 | $28 | +1.6% | 1,790 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $57,580 | $58,240 | $28 | +1.5% | 560 |
| 24 | Iowa | $57,290 | $56,770 | $28 | +1% | 980 |
| 25 | Maine | $57,240 | $57,250 | $28 | +0.9% | 730 |
| 26 | Idaho | $56,010 | $51,780 | $27 | -1.3% | 580 |
| 27 | Ohio | $55,510 | $58,100 | $27 | -2.2% | 4,550 |
| 28 | Florida | $54,750 | $50,170 | $26 | -3.5% | 6,090 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $54,590 | $50,600 | $26 | -3.8% | 350 |
| 30 | Michigan | $54,480 | $53,310 | $26 | -4% | 2,100 |
| 31 | Virginia | $53,370 | $50,490 | $26 | -5.9% | 3,050 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $53,230 | $50,270 | $26 | -6.2% | 750 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $52,070 | $49,890 | $25 | -8.2% | 3,620 |
| 34 | Indiana | $51,660 | $49,050 | $25 | -9% | 2,150 |
| 35 | Texas | $51,580 | $50,040 | $25 | -9.1% | 7,730 |
| 36 | Montana | $49,700 | $47,640 | $24 | -12.4% | 560 |
| 37 | New Mexico | $49,590 | $49,060 | $24 | -12.6% | 640 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $48,560 | $47,900 | $23 | -14.4% | 420 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $48,500 | $46,390 | $23 | -14.5% | 1,840 |
| 40 | Missouri | $48,310 | $46,990 | $23 | -14.9% | 2,750 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $47,180 | $46,550 | $23 | -16.8% | 3,730 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $45,400 | $45,670 | $22 | -20% | 1,350 |
| 43 | Kansas | $44,830 | $45,110 | $22 | -21% | 1,370 |
| 44 | Georgia | $44,570 | $42,790 | $21 | -21.4% | 3,480 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $44,010 | $43,540 | $21 | -22.4% | 1,490 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $43,080 | $39,890 | $21 | -24.1% | 1,930 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $42,070 | $38,550 | $20 | -25.9% | 1,470 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $41,650 | $40,490 | $20 | -26.6% | 880 |
| 49 | Alabama | $41,260 | $38,960 | $20 | -27.3% | 2,230 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $39,270 | $38,240 | $19 | -30.8% | 1,460 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $36,530 | $34,510 | $18 | -35.6% | 1,430 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 446 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $113,800 | $116,260 | 400 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $104,910 | $102,130 | 1,110 |
| 3 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $90,930 | $88,310 | 80 |
| 4 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $89,090 | $81,090 | 90 |
| 5 | Vallejo, CA | $87,250 | $85,200 | 200 |
| 6 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $85,950 | $88,570 | 90 |
| 7 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $84,410 | $81,780 | 90 |
| 8 | Anchorage, AK | $83,870 | $78,540 | 140 |
| 9 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $83,840 | $84,120 | 150 |
| 10 | Napa, CA | $82,830 | $86,540 | 80 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing public safety telecommunicatorss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $60,840 | $62,820 | 5,400 |
| 2 | Business Support Services | $60,480 | $63,210 | 2,090 |
| 3 | Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals, Privately Owned | $60,360 | $57,490 | 30 |
| 4 | Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | $59,150 | $56,050 | 40 |
| 5 | State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $57,710 | $60,300 | 7,250 |
| 6 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | $57,580 | $57,310 | 740 |
| 7 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | $57,580 | $57,310 | 740 |
| 8 | Sector 55 - Management of Companies and Enterprises | $57,580 | $57,310 | 740 |
| 9 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $55,240 | $57,740 | 86,820 |
| 10 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $55,240 | $57,740 | 86,820 |
| 11 | Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $54,440 | $57,510 | 89,940 |
| 12 | Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $54,280 | $57,410 | 81,420 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do public safety telecommunicators make in the U.S.?
The median public safety telecommunicators salary in the United States is $53,040 per year (mean $56,740), and about 80% earn between $37,320 and $79,830.
How much do public safety telecommunicators make per hour?
Roughly $27 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $56,740 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays public safety telecommunicators the most?
California has the highest average pay for public safety telecommunicators at $81,520 per year (median $80,120).
What is the job outlook for public safety telecommunicators?
Employment is projected to change +3.5% from 2024 to 2034 (About as fast as average), with about 10,700 openings per year.