How to become a 911 dispatcher in Alabama
In Alabama, 911 dispatchers are hired by city, county and regional 911 centers. The Alabama 9-1-1 Board sets the statewide standards; the credential is Alabama Public Safety Telecommunicator-1 (ALPST-1) certification. At the Huntsville-Madison County 911 Center (Huntsville), new hires start at $45,760 a year. You must be at least 18.
Pay at the Huntsville-Madison County 911 Center (Huntsville)
Each city and county sets its own pay. This is the official scale of the Huntsville-Madison County 911 Center (Huntsville), the largest city's agency.
| Starting salary | $45,760 |
|---|---|
| Top of scale | — |
| Scale effective | 2026-10 |
Pay for this work across Alabama
Federal survey figures for public safety telecommunicators in Alabama, counting every employer in the state, public and private, so they differ from any one agency's pay scale above.
| People in this work | 2,230 |
|---|---|
| Lower pay (10th percentile) | $29,850 |
| Median pay | $38,960 |
| Higher pay (90th percentile) | $56,420 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates (all employers)[bls.gov]
Requirements
- Minimum age: 18
- Education: High school diploma or GED (Huntsville-Madison County 9-1-1 Center minimum; no statewide minimum)
- Alabama Act 2022-387 and Board Rule 585-X-5: telecommunicators at primary PSAPs must earn ALPST-1 certification; trainees must meet the enrollment requirements of the affiliated agency or the Board (no statewide age/education minimum stated)
- Hired on or after July 1, 2022: may work uncertified but must complete ALPST-1 certification within 180 days of the date of hire; trainees must be reported to the Board within 30 days of hire
- Minimum 40 hours of training on the topics in the National 911 Program's Recommended Minimum Training Guidelines for Public Safety Telecommunicators
- At least 70% on each end-of-subject assessment and 70% overall on the certification examination; up to two re-tests within 12 months
- Minimum 12 continuing education units (CEUs) per 12-month period to keep PST-1 certification
- Does not apply to telecommunicators employed by the state or its agencies (Rule 585-X-5-.03)
Hiring process
- Online application with initial typing assessment (25 wpm at 80% accuracy)
- Computerized applicant test
- Conditional job offer
- Background check
- Polygraph exam
- Physical examination
- Paid training academy with mentor on-the-job training; obtain Emergency Telecommunicator and Emergency Police Dispatch certifications
Entrance exam
Alabama 9-1-1 Board ALPST-1 certification examination. Overall score of 70% required; re-test may be taken up to two times in a 12-month period from the original failure and within 12 months of course completion (Rule 585-X-5-.02(5)).[al911board.com]
Required training
40 hours minimum, paid. ALPST-1: 40 hours of training on the National 911 Program's recommended minimum topics, delivered in person or virtually by Board-approved instructors; completed within 180 days of hire. Board-approved internal PSAP training may count toward the hours.[madco911.applicantstack.com]
Pension and retirement
- Plan: Employees' Retirement System of Alabama (ERS), local unit providing Tier 1 benefits (Retirement Systems of Alabama)
- Benefit formula: Average Final Salary x years and months of service x 2.0125% benefit factor; AFS = average of the highest 3 fiscal years out of the last 10
- When you can retire: Age 60 with at least 10 years of service, or 25 years of service at any age (30 years if the employer has not adopted 25-year retirement); member contribution 7.5%
Source:[rsa-al.gov]