How to become a 911 dispatcher in Alaska
In Alaska, 911 dispatchers are hired by city, county and regional 911 centers. At the Anchorage Police Department Dispatch (Municipality of Anchorage), new hires start at $79,394 a year, rising to $109,262.
Pay at the Anchorage Police Department Dispatch (Municipality of Anchorage)
Each city and county sets its own pay. This is the official scale of the Anchorage Police Department Dispatch (Municipality of Anchorage), the largest city's agency.
| Starting salary | $79,394 |
|---|---|
| Top of scale | $109,262 |
| Scale effective | 2026-04-02 |
Source:[governmentjobs.com]
Pay for this work across Alaska
Federal survey figures for public safety telecommunicators in Alaska, counting every employer in the state, public and private, so they differ from any one agency's pay scale above.
| People in this work | 390 |
|---|---|
| Lower pay (10th percentile) | $47,340 |
| Median pay | $66,660 |
| Higher pay (90th percentile) | $103,020 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates (all employers)[bls.gov]
Requirements
- Education: High school diploma, GED or equivalent (Anchorage Police Department minimum; no statewide standard)
- Citizenship: Legally authorized to work in the U.S. (no visa sponsorship) (Anchorage minimum)
Source:[governmentjobs.com]
Hiring process
- Online application (MOA)
- Nelson-Denny Reading Comprehension exam
- Dispatch/Call Taker video test
- Interview
- Conditional offer: background and financial check, written psychological assessment and interview, audiological exam, drug screen
- APSIN/NCIC certification within 30 days of hire
Required training
Length not published. No state-required initial training hours confirmed from an official Alaska source.
Pension and retirement
- Plan: Alaska Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) Defined Contribution Retirement (DCR) Plan, Tier IV
- Benefit formula: Defined contribution, no pension formula: employee contributes 8% of gross eligible compensation each pay period and the PERS employer adds 5% (13% total)
- When you can retire: Employee contributions always 100% vested; employer contributions vest 0% at 1 year, 25% at 2, 50% at 3, 75% at 4, 100% at 5 years of service
PERS is the statewide plan for the State and participating local governments; members first hired on or after July 1, 2006 are in the DCR plan. Whether Anchorage dispatchers participate was not confirmed from an official source.
Source:[drb.alaska.gov]