Public Safety Telecommunicators earn an average annual salary of $81,733, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation).

Key Statistics

8,510
2023 Workforce
None
Average Age
$81,733
Average Salary

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Public Safety Telecommunicators workforce.

Employment Over Time

8,510 Workforce in 2023

The Public Safety Telecommunicators workforce has been growing over time.

Historical employment trends for Public Safety Telecommunicators.

Yearly Wage Ranking

$81,733 Average Wage

In 2023, Public Safety Telecommunicators earned an average of $81,733.

Wage ranking compared to other occupations.

Wage Distribution

This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Public Safety Telecommunicators.

Salary distribution for Public Safety Telecommunicators.

Employment Growth Projections

2.7% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

38,455 Projected Employment (5 years)

Projected growth: 14.2%

43,933 Projected Employment (10 years)

Projected growth: 30.5%

This occupation is projected to grow at 2.7% annually, indicating strong future demand.

Historical employment trends and future projections for Public Safety Telecommunicators.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Public Safety Telecommunicators and on wages for those in the field.

Occupations by Industries

This graphic shows the share of Public Safety Telecommunicators employed by various industries.

Industry distribution for Public Safety Telecommunicators.

Wage Trends by Industry

8.0% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate

Historical wage growth trends by industry for Public Safety Telecommunicators.

Geographic Distribution

Employment and wage information by geographic location for Public Safety Telecommunicators.

Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).

Top States by Employment

Top States by Employment:

  • CA: 7,610 employees, $82,861 avg wage

Top 10 states by employment for Public Safety Telecommunicators.

Top Metropolitan Areas

Top Metropolitan Areas:

  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 1,500 employees, $78,776 avg wage
  • Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 850 employees, $74,317 avg wage
  • San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 690 employees, $77,034 avg wage
  • Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 670 employees, $79,271 avg wage
  • Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 660 employees, $80,803 avg wage
  • Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 590 employees, $96,016 avg wage
  • San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 460 employees, $115,153 avg wage
  • San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 420 employees, $117,344 avg wage
  • Fresno MSA: 290 employees, $69,148 avg wage
  • Bakersfield-Delano MSA: 200 employees, $61,149 avg wage

Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Public Safety Telecommunicators.

Diversity

Demographic information on Public Safety Telecommunicators in the US.

Gender and Age

The workforce of Public Safety Telecommunicators in 2023 was 8,510 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.

Gender and age distribution for Public Safety Telecommunicators.

Races

Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.

Race and ethnicity distribution for Public Safety Telecommunicators.

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices and required skills for Public Safety Telecommunicators.

Majors

The most common majors achieved by Public Safety Telecommunicators in 2023 were Business, Social Sciences, General Studies.

Common majors for Public Safety Telecommunicators.

Education Levels

The main educational levels achieved by Public Safety Telecommunicators workers.

Education level distribution for Public Safety Telecommunicators.

Skills

Public Safety Telecommunicators need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Critical Thinking.

Required skills for Public Safety Telecommunicators.

Knowledge & Abilities

Knowledge areas and abilities required for Public Safety Telecommunicators.

Knowledge Areas

The most important knowledge areas for Public Safety Telecommunicators include Public Safety and Security, Law and Government, English Language, Telecommunications, Customer and Personal Service.

Knowledge areas required for Public Safety Telecommunicators.

Abilities

Key abilities needed for Public Safety Telecommunicators include Oral Expression, Oral Comprehension, Speech Clarity, Problem Sensitivity, Speech Recognition.

Required abilities for Public Safety Telecommunicators.

Work Activities

Common work activities performed by Public Safety Telecommunicators.

Daily Activities

Public Safety Telecommunicators spend their time on activities such as Working with Computers, Communicating with People Outside the Organization, Documenting/Recording Information, Getting Information, Processing Information.

Most important work activities for Public Safety Telecommunicators.

About

Public Safety Telecommunicators

The average yearly wage for Public Safety Telecommunicators was $81,733 in 2023.

SOC Code

43-5031 - Public Safety Telecommunicators

Insights and Analysis

Compensation snapshot: Public Safety Telecommunicators reports an average salary of $81,733.

Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 8,510 workers, indicating sustained demand.

Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 2.7%, which should inform long-term career planning.

Data Sources

This page uses data from the following sources:

  • College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
    • Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
    • Employment and wage data by occupation
    • Latest data: May 2024
    • Source: bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
    • Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
    • Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
    • Source: onetcenter.org
  • IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
    • Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
  • Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
    • Demographic and workforce data
    • Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
    • Source: census.gov/acs

Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.

Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.

Methodology

Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.

All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.