Public Safety Telecommunicators Salary: $50,730 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 101,140 public safety telecommunicators work nationally, and $50,730 is the BLS national median annual wage. Projections imply about 2.7% annual growth; much hiring sits in federal, state, and local government, including state and local government schools and hospitals and the u.s. postal service (oews designation).
Public Safety Telecommunicators: what the data shows
Common questions about public safety telecommunicators careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a public safety telecommunicators?
Public Safety Telecommunicators is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 43-5031.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 101,140 workers.
What does a public safety telecommunicators do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Working with Computers, Communicating with People Outside the Organization, Documenting/Recording Information, Getting Information, Processing Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a public safety telecommunicators make?
BLS national median annual wage: $50,730 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $81,733 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $49,422 |
| 25th percentile | $64,357 |
| Median (50th) | $79,894 |
| 75th percentile | $97,332 |
| 90th percentile | $111,102 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Active Listening, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Critical Thinking, Service Orientation, and knowledge areas including Public Safety and Security, Law and Government, English Language, Telecommunications. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is public safety telecommunicators in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 2.7% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 14.2%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 30.5%.
Current U.S. headcount: 101,140.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do public safety telecommunicatorss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 101,140 | 16.9% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 87,810 | 14.7% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 84,730 | 14.2% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 84,730 | 14.2% |
| Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 80,820 | 13.5% |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 79,570 | 13.3% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Public Safety Telecommunicators in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 30,940 | $42,580 |
| Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | 26,870 | $35,430 |
| Agricultural Inspectors | 12,090 | $50,990 |
| Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | 8,700 | $86,350 |
| Public Relations Managers | 76,060 | $138,520 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | 136,390 | $78,680 |
| Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors | 23,220 | $109,660 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Public Safety Telecommunicators workforce.
Employment Over Time
101,140 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Public Safety Telecommunicators grew from 21,980 in 2009 to 33,660 in 2025 (53.1%).
Historical employment for Public Safety Telecommunicators from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$50,730 Median pay (BLS national)
Public Safety Telecommunicators earn $50,730 as the BLS national median annual wage.
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.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 8,510 employees, $80,010 avg wage
- TX: 7,660 employees, $49,060 avg wage
- FL: 6,290 employees, $52,720 avg wage
- NY: 5,620 employees, $61,070 avg wage
- OH: 4,490 employees, $54,480 avg wage
- NJ: 3,940 employees, $58,810 avg wage
- IL: 3,730 employees, $62,160 avg wage
- NC: 3,640 employees, $44,640 avg wage
- PA: 3,490 employees, $51,080 avg wage
- GA: 3,370 employees, $42,390 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Public Safety Telecommunicators.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 5,870 employees, $61,350 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 2,160 employees, $77,720 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 2,130 employees, $68,180 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 1,910 employees, $55,490 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 1,830 employees, $60,220 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 1,790 employees, $61,380 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 1,710 employees, $56,840 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 1,490 employees, $47,170 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 1,470 employees, $50,330 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 1,350 employees, $79,960 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 U.S. workforce for Public Safety Telecommunicators is about 101,140 people in our OEWS extract.
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
Public Safety Telecommunicators earn $50,730 as the BLS national median annual wage.
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 101,140 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.