How to become a 911 dispatcher in Arkansas
In Arkansas, 911 dispatchers are hired by city, county and regional 911 centers. The Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training (CLEST) / Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy sets the statewide standards; the credential is Public Safety Telecommunicator (911 dispatcher). At the City of Little Rock Department of Emergency Communications (9-1-1), new hires start at $41,226 a year, rising to $46,384.
Pay at the City of Little Rock Department of Emergency Communications (9-1-1)
Each city and county sets its own pay. This is the official scale of the City of Little Rock Department of Emergency Communications (9-1-1), the largest city's agency.
| Starting salary | $41,226 |
|---|---|
| Top of scale | $46,384 |
| Scale effective | 2025-12-27 |
Source:[littlerock.gov]
Pay for this work across Arkansas
Federal survey figures for public safety telecommunicators in Arkansas, counting every employer in the state, public and private, so they differ from any one agency's pay scale above.
| People in this work | 1,460 |
|---|---|
| Lower pay (10th percentile) | $31,010 |
| Median pay | $38,240 |
| Higher pay (90th percentile) | $47,860 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates (all employers)[bls.gov]
Requirements
- Education: High school completion plus one year of clerical and customer service experience, or an equivalent combination (City of Little Rock minimum; no statewide standard)
- No statewide training or certification mandate for 911 telecommunicators (as of 2026-10-28): under Ark. Code 12-10-325 agencies 'may provide' training through CLEST and the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy, which develops dispatcher training standards; training providers report completed training to the Arkansas 911 Board annually
- 911 center staff must be paid employees of the operating agency, trained in 911 system equipment, and must pass an employment background investigation before accessing Arkansas Crime Information Center (ACIC) files (Ark. Code 12-10-306)
- PSAPs that give pre-arrival instructions for medical emergencies must train staff in telephone CPR using evidence-based protocols, including continuing education (Ark. Code 12-10-330)
- ACIC system regulations: operators of an ACIC access device must be at least 18 and a U.S. citizen or a legal alien approved by ACIC, and must complete ACIC-required training
Source:[governmentjobs.com]
Required training
Length not published. No state-required hours. CLEST/ALETA offers a voluntary 40-hour telecommunicator certificate course that complies with national standards released in 2016.[dps.arkansas.gov]
Pension and retirement
- Plan: Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System (APERS)
- When you can retire: Vested with 5 years of actual service; normal (unreduced) retirement for most members at age 65 or at any age with 28 years of actual service; early retirement at age 55 or with 25 years, reduced by the smaller of 0.5% per month under 65 or 1% per month short of 28 years
APERS covers state employees and participating local governments. Whether City of Little Rock civilian 911 staff are APERS members was not confirmed. Ark. Code 12-10-306 recommends that non-sworn 911 staff get compensation and retirement plans comparable to public safety officers.
Source:[apers.org]