911 Dispatcher pay and requirements by state
911 dispatchers, officially public safety telecommunicators, answer emergency calls and dispatch police, fire and ambulance crews for city, county and regional 911 centers. Most centers hire at 18 with a high school diploma and a typing or CritiCall test, then train on the job. Many states also require a state course or certification within months of hire, often 40 hours and up to 232 in Florida. Pay, training rules and pensions differ a lot by state.
At each state's largest-city agency (42 states with a published scale), the median starting salary is $53,935. The highest is Alaska at $79,394; the lowest is Arizona at $37,586. Minimum hiring age: 18 in 16 states.
Highest starting pay
- 1. Alaska$79,394
- 2. Washington$75,587
- 3. Minnesota$70,886
- 4. Oregon$70,096
- 5. Iowa$68,099
- 6. California$67,150
All states
Tap a state for hiring steps, academy, pension and sources.
| State | Standards body | Largest-city start | Training hours | Min. age | Pension |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Alabama 9-1-1 Board | $45,760 | 40 | 18 | Employees' Retirement System of Alabama (ERS), local unit providing Tier 1 benefits (Retirement Systems of Alabama) |
| Alaska | — | $79,394 | — | — | Alaska Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) Defined Contribution Retirement (DCR) Plan, Tier IV |
| Arizona | Arizona 9-1-1 Program (Arizona Department of Administration) | $37,586 | — | — | Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) |
| Arkansas | Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training (CLEST) / Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy | $41,226 | — | — | Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System (APERS) |
| California | California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) | $67,150 | 160 | — | CalPERS (local miscellaneous member, PEPRA) |
| Colorado | Colorado Public Utilities Commission (Colorado 9-1-1 Program) | $55,827 | — | — | Colorado PERA (Local Government Division) |
| Connecticut | Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, Division of Statewide Emergency Telecommunications (DSET) | $51,563 | — | — | Connecticut Municipal Employees' Retirement System (CMERS) |
| Florida | Florida Department of Health (Bureau of Emergency Medical Oversight, 911 Public Safety Telecommunicator Program) | $58,500 | 232 | — | Florida Retirement System (FRS) Pension Plan, Regular Class |
| Georgia | Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST) | — | 48 | 18 | — |
| Hawaii | Hawaii State Department of Health (Emergency Medical Services) | $54,756 | — | — | Employees' Retirement System of the State of Hawaii (ERS), Hybrid Plan |
| Idaho | Idaho Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Council | $53,789 | — | 18 | Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho (PERSI), general members |
| Illinois | Illinois State Police, Office of the Statewide 9-1-1 Administrator | $61,824 | — | — | Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF), Tier 2 Regular Plan |
| Indiana | Indiana Statewide 911 Board | $54,080 | 40 | 18 | Indiana Public Retirement System (INPRS), Public Employees' Retirement Fund (PERF) Hybrid |
| Iowa | Iowa Law Enforcement Academy (Public Safety Telecommunicator Training Board) | $68,099 | 40 | — | Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System (IPERS), Regular members |
| Kansas | Kansas State 911 Board | $42,224 | — | — | Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS 3, cash-balance plan for members first employed on or after Jan 1, 2015) |
| Kentucky | Kentucky Law Enforcement Council / Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT) | $62,525 | 164 | 18 | County Employees Retirement System (CERS), Tier 3 hybrid cash balance (Kentucky Public Pensions Authority) |
| Louisiana | Louisiana Department of Health, Bureau of Emergency Medical Services (T-CPR training standards) | $44,000 | — | — | New Orleans Municipal Employees' Retirement System (NOMERS) for OPCD employees |
| Maine | Maine Emergency Services Communication Bureau (Public Utilities Commission) | $61,318 | 104 | — | Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS) - PLD Consolidated Plan, Special Plan 3C (City of Portland telecommunicators) |
| Maryland | Maryland Emergency Number Systems Board (Maryland 9-1-1 Board) | $52,875 | — | — | Maryland State Retirement and Pension System, Employees' Pension System (Reformed Contributory Pension Benefit) |
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts State 911 Department | $60,940 | 40 | — | Massachusetts contributory retirement system (M.G.L. c. 32; local retirement boards, e.g. Boston Retirement System), Group 1 |
| Michigan | Michigan State 911 Committee (training standards adopted by the Michigan Public Service Commission) | $39,927 | 80 | — | General Retirement System of the City of Detroit - Component I (Hybrid Plan) |
| Minnesota | Minnesota Statewide Emergency Communications Board (Department of Public Safety, Emergency Communication Networks) | $70,886 | — | — | Public Employees Retirement Association of Minnesota (PERA) - Local Government Probation and Telecommunicator Retirement Plan (starts January 1, 2027) |
| Mississippi | Mississippi Board of Emergency Telecommunications Standards and Training (BETST), Department of Public Safety Office of Standards and Training | — | 40 | 18 | Public Employees' Retirement System of Mississippi (PERS) - Hybrid Retirement Plan (Tier 5) |
| Missouri | Missouri 911 Service Board | $52,068 | 16 | — | Civilian Employees' Retirement System of the Police Department of Kansas City (RSMo 86.1310-86.1640) |
| Montana | Montana Public Safety Officer Standards and Training (POST) Council | — | — | 18 | Montana Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) Defined Benefit Retirement Plan |
| Nebraska | Nebraska Public Service Commission (State 911 Department) | — | 40 | — | Douglas County employee retirement system (county plan under Neb. Rev. Stat. 23-1118) |
| Nevada | Nevada Commission on Peace Officers' Standards and Training (POST) - voluntary law enforcement dispatcher program | $53,318 | — | 18 | Public Employees' Retirement System of Nevada (NVPERS) - Regular members |
| New Hampshire | New Hampshire Department of Safety, Division of Emergency Services and Communications (state 911) | $55,365 | — | — | New Hampshire Retirement System (NHRS) - Group I (employee members), Tier C |
| New Jersey | New Jersey Office of Emergency Telecommunications Services (OETS) | — | 40 | — | Public Employees' Retirement System of New Jersey (PERS) |
| New Mexico | New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy (NM Department of Public Safety) / Law Enforcement Academy Board | $53,248 | 130 | — | Public Employees Retirement Association of New Mexico (PERA) - Municipal General Member plan |
| New York | New York State 911 Board (NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services) | $51,790 | 240 | — | New York State and Local Employees' Retirement System (NYSLRS ERS), Tier 6 |
| North Carolina | North Carolina Sheriffs' Education and Training Standards Commission (telecommunicator certification); N.C. 911 Board sets PSAP operating rules | $50,076 | 47 | 18 | North Carolina Local Governmental Employees' Retirement System (LGERS) |
| North Dakota | North Dakota Emergency Services Communications Coordinating Committee (ESC3) | $56,019 | — | — | RRRDC 401(k) Retirement Plan (employer-sponsored) |
| Ohio | Ohio 9-1-1 Program Office (Office of the 9-1-1 Administrator) and Statewide 9-1-1 Steering Committee | $63,856 | 80 | — | Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) - Traditional Pension Plan |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma 9-1-1 Management Authority | $40,976 | 40 | — | — |
| Oregon | Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) / Board on Public Safety Standards and Training | $70,096 | 116 | — | Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) - OPSRP Pension Program, general service |
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) 911 Office | $49,039 | — | 18 | City of Philadelphia Municipal Retirement System (Board of Pensions and Retirement) - Plan 16 (hybrid defined benefit/defined contribution) |
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island E 9-1-1 Uniform Emergency Telephone System (RI Department of Public Safety) | $59,609 | — | — | Employees' Retirement System of Rhode Island (ERSRI) - state employees (Schedule B3, hybrid defined benefit + TIAA defined contribution) |
| South Carolina | South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy / Law Enforcement Training Council | $46,218 | 36.75 | 18 | South Carolina Retirement System (SCRS), administered by PEBA |
| South Dakota | South Dakota Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Training Commission (Office of the Attorney General, Law Enforcement Training) | — | 80 | 18 | South Dakota Retirement System (SDRS), Class A |
| Tennessee | Tennessee Emergency Communications Board (TECB) | $52,850 | 85 | — | Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS), political subdivision plans |
| Texas | Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) | $54,350 | 80 | 18 | Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS) |
| Utah | Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) | $55,370 | 40 | 18 | Utah Retirement Systems (URS), Tier 2 Public Employees Contributory Retirement System |
| Vermont | Vermont Enhanced 911 Board | $52,166 | 40 | — | Vermont State Employees' Retirement System (VSERS), Group F* |
| Virginia | Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) | $49,254 | — | 18 | Virginia Retirement System (VRS), Hybrid Retirement Plan |
| Washington | Washington State 911 Coordination Office (Emergency Management Division), Public Safety Telecommunicator Certification Board | $75,587 | — | — | Washington Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) Plan 2 |
| West Virginia | West Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services (EMD course approval); training mandated by W. Va. Code §24-6-5 | $43,700 | 40 | — | West Virginia Emergency Medical Services Retirement System (EMSRS) for 911 personnel of participating county 911 centers; otherwise West Virginia PERS |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin Department of Health Services (telecommunicator CPR mandate, Wis. Stat. 256.35(2m)) | $58,014 | — | — | Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS), general category |
| Wyoming | Wyoming Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission (POST) | — | 80 | 18 | Wyoming Retirement System (WRS) Law Enforcement Pension Plan |
Cities and counties set their own pay; the figure shown is the largest city's official base scale, before overtime. Training hours are the state minimum. Each state page links the sources.