Public Safety Telecommunicators
SOC 43-5031 · 2024-2034
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.
How the U.S. Department of Labor describes this work. Published in English only.
The job this trains for
- Typical pay in California
- $82,016per year
- Projected openings
- 8,940
- Projected change
- +5.9%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
Skills this work uses most
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, rates how important each of these is to this work, and they are listed in that order, most important first. The ratings themselves are not shown, because the data carries the number without the scale it was measured on. The names are as published, in English.
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Coordination
- Service Orientation
- Critical Thinking
Pay by region
| Region | Typical pay in California | Projected openings |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA (San Benito and Santa Clara Counties) | $128,009 | 470 |
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD (San Francisco and San Mateo Counties) | $123,614 | 500 |
| San Rafael MD (Marin County) | $103,956 | 90 |
| Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) | $103,680 | 670 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles MSA (San Luis Obispo County) | $89,762 | 90 |
| Vallejo MSA (Solano County) | $89,098 | 190 |
| Napa MSA (Napa County) | $86,075 | 60 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma MSA (Sonoma County) | $84,900 | 160 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA (Ventura County) | $83,174 | 170 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA (Santa Barbara County) | $82,550 | 110 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville MSA (Santa Cruz County) | $81,437 | 120 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) | $80,967 | 660 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA (El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties) | $80,303 | 790 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA (San Diego County) | $80,283 | 750 |
| Stockton-Lodi MSA (San Joaquin County) | $79,741 | 190 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $78,819 | 1,610 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) | $77,994 | 940 |
| Redding MSA (Shasta County) | $68,535 | 120 |
| Modesto MSA (Stanislaus County) | $67,881 | 120 |
| Yuba City MSA (Sutter and Yuba Counties) | $65,879 | 40 |
| Fresno MSA (Fresno and Madera Counties) | $65,450 | 320 |
| Chico MSA (Butte County) | $65,062 | 90 |
| Hanford-Corcoran MSA (Kings County) | $64,030 | 40 |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region (Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Inyo, Mariposa, Mono, and Tuolumne Counties) | $63,734 | 120 |
| Bakersfield-Delano MSA (Kern County) | $62,733 | 230 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region (Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Plumas, Sierra, Siskiyou, Tehama, and Trinity Counties) | $62,273 | 180 |
| North Coast Region (Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, and Mendocino Counties) | $62,263 | 130 |
| El Centro MSA (Imperial County) | $58,238 | 50 |
| Visalia MSA (Tulare County) | $48,850 | 130 |
| Merced MSA (Merced County) | Not reported | 110 |
| Salinas MSA (Monterey County) | Not reported | 90 |
Similar work
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, names these as occupations involving work similar to this one — its own reading of the job, not a grouping by code. They keep O*NET's order, and only those California publishes a projection for are shown.
| The job this trains for | Typical pay in California | Projected openings | Projected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance | $53,589 | 23,150 | +5.2% |
| Emergency Medical Technicians | $47,678 | 19,450 | +15% |
| First-line Supervisors of Security Workers | $55,327 | 11,110 | +5.5% |
| Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service | $49,996 | 5,300 | -23.9% |
| Paramedics | $76,678 | 3,120 | +15.7% |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $121,891 | 52,390 | +5.2% |