Top Skills for This Career
BLS identifies these as the three highest-rated skills for this detailed occupation. TrustInEd adds the plain-language explanations so visitors understand what each skill means.
Adjusting effectively when priorities, conditions, tools, or expectations change.
Paying close attention to accuracy, quality, instructions, and small but important details.
Understanding customer needs and providing helpful, professional service.
How Do You Prepare for This Career?
BLS describes the typical preparation for this occupation. Requirements can vary by employer, state, licensing rules and individual circumstances.
How to Become One
How to Become a Public Safety Telecommunicator Public safety telecommunicators usually must pass a typing test. Public safety telecommunicators typically need a high school diploma to enter the occupation and then are trained on the job. Many states and localities require these workers to become certified. In addition, candidates usually must pass an exam and a typing test. In some instances, candidates may need to pass a background check, lie detector and drug tests, and tests for hearing and vision. The ability to communicate in another language, such as Spanish or American Sign Language, may be helpful.
Education
Public safety telecommunicators typically need a high school diploma to enter the occupation.
Training
Public safety telecommunicators typically receive training on the job. Training requirements and length of training vary by state and locality. For example, some states require 40 or more hours of training, and others require continuing education every 2 to 3 years. Still other states do not mandate any specific training, leaving individual localities and agencies to structure their own requirements and conduct their own courses. Training programs typically involve an instructional course and may include on-the-job demonstrations. Training may be followed by a probationary period of about 1 year. However, the period may vary by agency, as there is no national standard governing training or probation. Training covers a variety of topics, such as local geography, agency protocols, and standard procedures. Public safety telecommunicators learn how to use equipment such as computer-aided dispatch systems, which consist of several monitors that may display call information, maps, and video. They also may receive training to prepare for high-risk incidents, such as child abductions and suicidal callers. Some agencies have their own training programs for public safety telecommunicators; others use training from separate associations.
Licenses, Certifications & Registrations
Many states and localities require public safety telecommunicators to be certified. One certification is the Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD) certification, which enables dispatchers to give medical assistance over the phone. Public safety telecommunicators may choose to pursue additional certifications, which may help to demonstrate their leadership skills and knowledge. Information on certifications is available from CareerOneStop. Advancement Training and additional certifications may help public safety telecommunicators become senior dispatchers or supervisors. Additional education and related work experience may be helpful in advancing to management-level positions.
Your Next Step
Review training, certifications, apprenticeships, or employer-based preparation that may support entry into this career.
Pay
the median annual wage for all workers was $50,980.
Job Outlook
Job Outlook Employment of public safety telecommunicators is projected to grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as the average for all occupations. About 9,000 openings for public safety telecommunicators are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire. Employment Population growth and the commensurate increase in 9-1-1 call volume is expected to create demand for these workers. However, state and local government budget constraints may limit the number of public safety telecommunicators hired over the projections decade. Public Safety Telecommunicators Percent change in employment, projected 2025–35 Public safety telecommunicators 4% Total, all occupations 3% Material recording, scheduling, dispatching, and distributing workers -2% Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.
What They Do
What Public Safety Telecommunicators Do
Public safety telecommunicators, including 911 operators and fire dispatchers, answer emergency and nonemergency calls and provide resources to assist those in need.
Duties
Public safety telecommunicators typically do the following:
- Answer 9-1-1 emergency and nonemergency requests from different sources, such as phone calls, text messages, social media, and alarm systems
- Determine the type of emergency and its location and decide the appropriate response based on agency procedures
- Relay information to the appropriate first-responder agency
- Coordinate the dispatch of emergency response personnel
- Give instructions to the person in need before emergency services arrive
- Monitor and track the status of police, fire, and ambulance units
- Synchronize responses with other area communication centers
- Keep detailed records of calls
Public safety telecommunicators answer requests from people who need help. Depending on the situation, these workers may contact police, firefighters, emergency services, or a combination of the three. Telecommunicators take both emergency and nonemergency requests.
Public safety telecommunicators must stay calm while collecting vital information from callers to determine the severity and location of a situation. They also must select and clear a radio channel to establish a stable connection with the appropriate first-responder agency, such as the police or fire department. Telecommunicators then monitor that channel to ensure that resources are provided safely and efficiently.
Public safety telecommunicators use computers to log important facts, such as the nature of the incident and the caller’s name. These computer systems screen calls to identify the delivery method, such as phone, text, or video. Telecommunicators then gather information about the location of the person in need.
Public safety telecommunicators are trained to provide instruction over the phone. They often must guide callers on what to do before responders arrive. For example, they might help the caller provide first aid at the scene until emergency medical services arrive. At other times, telecommunicators may advise callers on how to remain safe while waiting for assistance.
Work Environment
Work Environment
Public safety telecommunicators held about 105,600 jobs in 2025. The largest employers of public safety telecommunicators were as follows:
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 79% |
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | 5 |
| Ambulance services | 5 |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 4 |
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | 3 |
Public safety telecommunicators typically work in communication centers, often called public safety answering points (PSAPs). Some work for unified communication centers, where they answer calls for all types of emergency services, while others work specifically for police or fire departments.
Work as a public safety telecommunicator may be stressful. These workers often have long shifts, take many calls, and deal with troubling situations. Some calls require them to assist people who are in life-threatening situations, and the pressure to respond quickly and calmly may be demanding.
Work Schedules
Most public safety telecommunicators work full time, often in 8- to 12-hour shifts.
Because emergencies happen at any time, public safety telecommunicators are needed to staff PSAPs around the clock. They may be required to work shifts that are outside standard business hours, such as evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Important Qualities
The following are examples of qualities that are important for these workers to perform their duties. For more information, visit the Employment Projections (EP) skills data page. Ability to multitask. Public safety telecommunicators must stay calm in order to simultaneously answer calls, collect vital information, coordinate responders, monitor multiple displays, and use a variety of equipment. Communication skills. Public safety telecommunicators work with law enforcement, emergency response teams, and civilians. They must be able to communicate the nature of an emergency effectively and to coordinate the appropriate response. Decision-making skills. When people call for help, public safety telecommunicators must be able to determine the response dictated by procedures and to work efficiently with the assisting emergency departments. Empathy. Public safety telecommunicators must be willing to help a range of callers with varying needs. They must be calm, polite, and sympathetic, while also collecting relevant information quickly. Listening skills. Public safety telecommunicators must listen carefully to collect relevant details, even though some callers might have trouble speaking because of anxiety or stress. Typing skills. Public safety telecommunicators enter the details of calls into computers; typing speed and accuracy are essential when responding to emergencies.
More Information
More Information, Including Links to O*NET
Learn more about public safety telecommunicators by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.
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Start with ED →Career data and occupational profile text are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook and Employment Projections program. Education requirements are typical entry-level requirements and may vary by employer, state, occupation or individual circumstance. View the official BLS profile.