How to become a 911 dispatcher in Louisiana
In Louisiana, 911 dispatchers are hired by city, county and regional 911 centers. The Louisiana Department of Health, Bureau of Emergency Medical Services (T-CPR training standards) sets the statewide standards; the credential is Public Safety Telecommunicator (911 dispatcher). At the Orleans Parish Communication District (OPCD), New Orleans 9-1-1/3-1-1, new hires start at $44,000 a year.
Pay at the Orleans Parish Communication District (OPCD), New Orleans 9-1-1/3-1-1
Each city and county sets its own pay. This is the official scale of the Orleans Parish Communication District (OPCD), New Orleans 9-1-1/3-1-1, the largest city's agency.
| Starting salary | $44,000 |
|---|---|
| Top of scale | — |
| Scale effective | 2024-01-01 |
Source:[opcdla.gov]
Pay for this work across Louisiana
Federal survey figures for public safety telecommunicators in Louisiana, counting every employer in the state, public and private, so they differ from any one agency's pay scale above.
| People in this work | 1,470 |
|---|---|
| Lower pay (10th percentile) | $29,150 |
| Median pay | $38,550 |
| Higher pay (90th percentile) | $59,730 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates (all employers)[bls.gov]
Requirements
- No statewide basic-training hours or certification rule for 911 telecommunicators was found in the Louisiana Revised Statutes; the state mandate found is telephone CPR (T-CPR) training
- La. R.S. 40:1133.16: every public safety telecommunicator must be trained in T-CPR meeting nationally recognized emergency cardiovascular care guidelines adopted by the Bureau of EMS every two years (recognition of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, compression-only CPR instructions, continuing education); compliance deadlines ran 2019-2021 by parish population
- Communications districts (parish 911 agencies) are created under La. R.S. 33:9101 et seq. and set their own hiring standards
Source:[legis.la.gov]
Required training
Length not published. No state-required initial training hours found (T-CPR training only). OPCD (New Orleans) gives recruits a 16-week training program.[opcdla.gov]
Pension and retirement
- Plan: New Orleans Municipal Employees' Retirement System (NOMERS) for OPCD employees
OPCD careers page: NOMERS employee contribution 6% of gross per pay period; employer contribution 17.45%. Other Louisiana parish/municipal 911 districts may be in statewide plans (e.g. Parochial Employees' or Municipal Employees' Retirement System); not researched here.
Source:[opcdla.gov]