How to become a 911 dispatcher in California
In California, 911 dispatchers are hired by city, county and regional 911 centers. The California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) sets the statewide standards; the credential is Public Safety Dispatcher. At the Los Angeles Police Department Communications Division (Police Service Representative / 911 Dispatcher, class 2207), new hires start at $67,150 a year, rising to $118,535.
Pay at the Los Angeles Police Department Communications Division (Police Service Representative / 911 Dispatcher, class 2207)
Each city and county sets its own pay. This is the official scale of the Los Angeles Police Department Communications Division (Police Service Representative / 911 Dispatcher, class 2207), the largest city's agency.
| Starting salary | $67,150 |
|---|---|
| Top of scale | $118,535 |
Source:[joinlapd.com]
Pay for this work across California
Federal survey figures for public safety telecommunicators in California, counting every employer in the state, public and private, so they differ from any one agency's pay scale above.
| People in this work | 8,520 |
|---|---|
| Lower pay (10th percentile) | $49,350 |
| Median pay | $80,120 |
| Higher pay (90th percentile) | $108,650 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates (all employers)[bls.gov]
Requirements
- Education: No minimum requirement (agencies verify educational history and may require high school graduation)
- Citizenship: Legally eligible for employment in the U.S.
- POST minimum selection standards apply to dispatchers employed by POST-participating agencies (Commission Regulations 1956-1960); agencies may add polygraph, psychological evaluation or higher standards, including a minimum age
- Assessment of verbal, reasoning, memory and perceptual abilities (POST Public Safety Dispatcher Selection Test Battery or other assessment) (Reg. 1957)
- Oral communication assessment before a conditional offer (Reg. 1958)
- Fingerprint check with California DOJ and FBI; background investigation including employment, reference, military, credit and driving records (Reg. 1959)
- Medical evaluation by a licensed physician (Reg. 1960)
- Must complete the 160-hour POST-certified Public Safety Dispatchers' Basic Course within 12 months of appointment (Reg. 1018(c))
Source:[post.ca.gov]
Hiring process
- Application to a POST-participating agency
- Verbal, reasoning, memory and perceptual ability test (e.g., POST Dispatcher Selection Test Battery)
- Oral communication assessment
- Fingerprint and criminal history check
- Background investigation
- Medical evaluation
- POST Public Safety Dispatchers' Basic Course within 12 months of appointment
Source:[post.ca.gov]
Entrance exam
POST Entry-Level Public Safety Dispatcher Selection Test Battery. Pre-hire selection test used by many agencies; agencies may use another assessment of verbal, reasoning, memory and perceptual abilities. No state certification exam after training is required.[post.ca.gov]
Required training
160 hours minimum. POST Public Safety Dispatchers' Basic Course: minimum 160 hours across 19 Learning Domains (146 domain hours plus 14 hours of exercises); raised from 120 hours in 2024. Must be completed within 12 months of appointment.[post.ca.gov]
Pension and retirement
- Plan: CalPERS (local miscellaneous member, PEPRA)
- Benefit formula: 2% at 62: 2.000% of final compensation per year of service at age 62, rising to a maximum 2.500% at age 67; reduced factors from age 52
- When you can retire: Minimum age 52 with at least 5 years of CalPERS service credit (new PEPRA members)
CalPERS covers most California cities and counties that contract with it; the plan formula is set by each agency's contract. The City of Los Angeles (pay.employer) has its own system, LACERS, not CalPERS.
Source:[calpers.ca.gov]