How to become a 911 dispatcher in Colorado
In Colorado, 911 dispatchers are hired by city, county and regional 911 centers. The Colorado Public Utilities Commission (Colorado 9-1-1 Program) sets the statewide standards; the credential is Public Safety Telecommunicator (911 dispatcher). At the Denver 911 (City and County of Denver Department of Public Safety), new hires start at $55,827 a year, rising to $83,762.
Pay at the Denver 911 (City and County of Denver Department of Public Safety)
Each city and county sets its own pay. This is the official scale of the Denver 911 (City and County of Denver Department of Public Safety), the largest city's agency.
| Starting salary | $55,827 |
|---|---|
| Top of scale | $83,762 |
| Scale effective | 2026-10-01 |
Source:[denvergov.org]
Pay for this work across Colorado
Federal survey figures for public safety telecommunicators in Colorado, counting every employer in the state, public and private, so they differ from any one agency's pay scale above.
| People in this work | 1,800 |
|---|---|
| Lower pay (10th percentile) | $48,250 |
| Median pay | $63,520 |
| Higher pay (90th percentile) | $83,750 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates (all employers)[bls.gov]
Requirements
- Education: Graduation from high school or a GED, HiSET or TASC certificate (Denver 911 class minimum)
- No statewide telecommunicator training or certification mandate was confirmed from an official Colorado source; these are Denver 911's minimums for the 911 Emergency Communication Technician class
- Two years of public contact experience applying policies, procedures or legal guidelines, plus one year of Windows computer experience (additional education may substitute)
- CPR certification before the end of academy training, and recertification as required by the National Academy of Emergency Medical Dispatch during employment
- Must work weekends, holidays, swing or graveyard shifts and overtime on short notice
Source:[denvergov.org]
Required training
Length not published. No state-required initial training hours found. Denver 911 runs its own training academy (details given by Safety Human Resources after the interest form).[denvergov.org]
Pension and retirement
- Plan: Colorado PERA (Local Government Division)
- Benefit formula: 2.5% of Highest Average Salary (HAS) for each year of service credit, up to 100%
- When you can retire: Non-safety members hired on or after January 1, 2020: any age with 35 years, age 64 with 30 years, or age 65 with any years of service; earlier retirement is actuarially reduced
PERA is the statewide plan for participating local governments. The City and County of Denver (pay.employer) has its own Denver Employees Retirement Plan (DERP) for career-service employees.
Source:[content.copera.org]