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

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

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)
95,730 0.8 % $ 23.74 $ 49,370 0.2 %

Percentile wage estimates for Public Safety Telecommunicators:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 14.95 $ 18.14 $ 22.55 $ 28.58 $ 34.01
Annual Wage (2) $ 31,090 $ 37,720 $ 46,900 $ 59,440 $ 70,730


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) 78,370 1.46 $ 24.10 $ 50,130
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 5,060 0.24 $ 25.89 $ 53,840
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 4,680 1.46 $ 19.30 $ 40,150
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 2,390 0.04 $ 21.26 $ 44,230
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 2,330 0.08 $ 21.58 $ 44,890

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 4,680 1.46 $ 19.30 $ 40,150
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 78,370 1.46 $ 24.10 $ 50,130
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 5,060 0.24 $ 25.89 $ 53,840
Business Support Services 810 0.10 $ 19.82 $ 41,230
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 2,330 0.08 $ 21.58 $ 44,890

Top paying industries for Public Safety Telecommunicators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Support Activities for Air Transportation 30 0.01 $ 30.79 $ 64,040
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 5,060 0.24 $ 25.89 $ 53,840
Management of Companies and Enterprises 250 0.01 $ 24.48 $ 50,910
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 78,370 1.46 $ 24.10 $ 50,130
Employment Services 220 0.01 $ 21.79 $ 45,320


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.



Map of employment of public safety telecommunicators by state, May 2022


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)
California 7,970 0.45 0.70 $ 35.30 $ 73,430
Texas 7,830 0.60 0.93 $ 20.69 $ 43,040
New York 5,610 0.62 0.95 $ 27.82 $ 57,860
Florida 5,280 0.57 0.89 $ 23.99 $ 49,900
New Jersey 4,990 1.21 1.87 $ 26.73 $ 55,600


Map of location quotient of public safety telecommunicators by state, May 2022


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)
West Virginia 940 1.39 2.14 $ 17.28 $ 35,930
Alabama 2,620 1.31 2.02 $ 16.93 $ 35,210
Wyoming 340 1.26 1.95 $ 21.13 $ 43,950
Mississippi 1,400 1.24 1.91 $ 14.45 $ 30,050
New Jersey 4,990 1.21 1.87 $ 26.73 $ 55,600


Map of annual mean wages of public safety telecommunicators by state, May 2022


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 7,970 0.45 0.70 $ 35.30 $ 73,430
Washington 1,310 0.38 0.59 $ 30.92 $ 64,310
Alaska 310 1.03 1.59 $ 30.36 $ 63,150
Oregon 890 0.47 0.72 $ 29.82 $ 62,030
Minnesota 1,100 0.39 0.60 $ 29.15 $ 60,640



Map of employment of public safety telecommunicators by area, May 2022


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 7,130 0.78 1.20 $ 28.43 $ 59,140
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 2,090 0.47 0.73 $ 30.81 $ 64,070
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,080 0.34 0.53 $ 34.97 $ 72,730
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,920 0.51 0.78 $ 22.59 $ 47,000
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 1,660 0.60 0.93 $ 25.12 $ 52,260
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,660 0.61 0.95 $ 26.63 $ 55,400
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 1,510 0.58 0.89 $ 31.25 $ 64,990
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 1,500 0.49 0.76 $ 21.70 $ 45,140
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 1,430 0.52 0.81 $ 20.18 $ 41,960
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 1,370 0.45 0.70 $ 27.09 $ 56,340


Map of location quotient of public safety telecommunicators by area, May 2022


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)
Gadsden, AL 70 2.07 3.19 $ 15.33 $ 31,880
Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH 70 1.95 3.01 $ 17.78 $ 36,980
Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL 100 1.93 2.98 $ 17.16 $ 35,690
Ocean City, NJ 70 1.88 2.90 $ 24.35 $ 50,650
Hattiesburg, MS 110 1.84 2.84 $ 14.79 $ 30,770
Danville, IL 50 1.78 2.75 $ 22.74 $ 47,300
Charleston, WV 170 1.67 2.58 $ 17.69 $ 36,800
Mansfield, OH 80 1.66 2.56 $ 20.30 $ 42,230
Anniston-Oxford-Jacksonville, AL 70 1.63 2.51 $ 16.71 $ 34,760
Mobile, AL 280 1.61 2.49 $ 16.81 $ 34,970


Map of annual mean wages of public safety telecommunicators by area, May 2022


Top paying metropolitan areas for Public Safety Telecommunicators:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 470 0.42 0.64 $ 48.17 $ 100,200
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 1,030 0.43 0.66 $ 45.48 $ 94,590
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 130 0.41 0.64 $ 36.81 $ 76,570
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 110 0.55 0.84 $ 36.26 $ 75,420
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 140 1.05 1.62 $ 35.68 $ 74,210
Anchorage, AK 120 0.74 1.14 $ 35.59 $ 74,030
Santa Rosa, CA 140 0.67 1.03 $ 35.01 $ 72,810
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,080 0.34 0.53 $ 34.97 $ 72,730
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 550 0.27 0.42 $ 34.87 $ 72,530
Stockton-Lodi, CA 110 0.41 0.63 $ 34.77 $ 72,330

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Public Safety Telecommunicators:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 780 2.03 3.13 $ 18.22 $ 37,910
Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 380 2.28 3.52 $ 15.93 $ 33,120
Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 350 1.40 2.17 $ 17.53 $ 36,470
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 310 1.14 1.76 $ 18.38 $ 38,230
Mountain North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 310 2.40 3.71 $ 17.02 $ 35,410

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

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
East-Central Montana nonmetropolitan area 230 3.59 5.54 $ 18.52 $ 38,510
Northwest Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 110 3.01 4.66 $ 16.45 $ 34,220
Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area 130 2.71 4.19 $ 17.23 $ 35,840
Southwest Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 160 2.70 4.17 $ 16.67 $ 34,660
Southwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area 170 2.68 4.14 $ 12.73 $ 26,470

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Public Safety Telecommunicators:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 120 1.19 1.83 $ 28.52 $ 59,320
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 110 1.85 2.86 $ 27.96 $ 58,150
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 160 1.55 2.39 $ 27.32 $ 56,830
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 70 0.68 1.05 $ 26.63 $ 55,390
Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 70 0.50 0.78 $ 26.58 $ 55,280


About May 2022 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 25, 2023