How to become a 911 dispatcher in Kansas
In Kansas, 911 dispatchers are hired by city, county and regional 911 centers. The Kansas State 911 Board sets the statewide standards; the credential is Public Safety Telecommunicator (911 dispatcher). At the Sedgwick County Emergency Communications (9-1-1 center serving Wichita and Sedgwick County), new hires start at $42,224 a year.
Pay at the Sedgwick County Emergency Communications (9-1-1 center serving Wichita and Sedgwick County)
Each city and county sets its own pay. This is the official scale of the Sedgwick County Emergency Communications (9-1-1 center serving Wichita and Sedgwick County), the largest city's agency.
| Starting salary | $42,224 |
|---|---|
| Top of scale | — |
Sedgwick County 'Work for 9-1-1' page, current rates of pay: Emergency Service Call Taker $20.30/hr (x 2080 = $42,224); Emergency Service Dispatcher I $22.39/hr; Dispatcher II $24.67/hr. Employees start as Call Takers and may promote to Dispatcher I and II. Shift differential for hours worked 6 p.m.-6 a.m. No range maximum published.
Source:[sedgwick.gov]
Pay for this work across Kansas
Federal survey figures for public safety telecommunicators in Kansas, counting every employer in the state, public and private, so they differ from any one agency's pay scale above.
| People in this work | 1,370 |
|---|---|
| Lower pay (10th percentile) | $34,930 |
| Median pay | $45,110 |
| Higher pay (90th percentile) | $58,960 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates (all employers)[bls.gov]
Requirements
- Education: High school diploma or GED (Sedgwick County)
- No statewide training or certification mandate for 911 telecommunicators (as of 2026-10-28): K.S.A. 12-5384 bars the State 911 Board from establishing a mandatory certification program for PSAP emergency communications personnel; the board sets minimum training only for the statewide NG911 call-handling system technology and may recommend training for general PSAP operations
- Requirements below are Sedgwick County Emergency Communications' posted minimums
- Extensive criminal background check, physical exam and pre-employment testing
- Trainees must pass each written exam and the practical exam with 80% or better, and become certified in emergency medical dispatch, emergency fire dispatch and CPR, and receive NCIC clearance
Source:[sedgwick.gov]
Hiring process
- Submit application to Sedgwick County
- Attend a job informational meeting
- Complete a two-hour observation in the Communications Center
- Pass extensive criminal background check
- Panel interview
- Physical exam and pre-employment testing
Source:[sedgwick.gov]
Required training
Length not published. No state-required initial training hours. Sedgwick County: Call Taker Trainee seven-week academic phase plus eight weeks of on-the-job training with a Communications Training Officer; Dispatch Trainee three-week academic phase plus five weeks of OJT per discipline (Fire/EMS or Law Enforcement).[sedgwick.gov]
Pension and retirement
- Plan: Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS 3, cash-balance plan for members first employed on or after Jan 1, 2015)
- Benefit formula: Cash balance: member contributes 6% of compensation; employer credits 3% (under 5 years of service), 4% (5-11), 5% (12-23) or 6% (24+) of compensation; both accounts earn 4% interest credits plus a board-set additional interest credit; at retirement the balance is converted to an annuity
- When you can retire: Normal retirement age 65 with 5 years of credited service, or 60 with 30 years; vested members with 10+ years may start an annuity at age 55
Statutory terms in K.S.A. 74-49,302 (normal retirement age), 74-49,305 (6% member contribution), 74-49,306/308 (4% interest credits), 74-49,307 (employer credits), 74-49,313 (age 55 with 10 years).
Source:[ksrevisor.gov]