How to become a 911 dispatcher in Missouri
In Missouri, 911 dispatchers are hired by city, county and regional 911 centers. The Missouri 911 Service Board sets the statewide standards; the credential is Telecommunicator First Responder. At the Kansas City Missouri Police Department Communications Unit (911 call takers and dispatchers), new hires start at $52,068 a year, rising to $91,068.
Pay at the Kansas City Missouri Police Department Communications Unit (911 call takers and dispatchers)
Each city and county sets its own pay. This is the official scale of the Kansas City Missouri Police Department Communications Unit (911 call takers and dispatchers), the largest city's agency.
| Starting salary | $52,068 |
|---|---|
| Top of scale | $91,068 |
| Scale effective | 2025-05-01 |
Call Taker annual salary $52,068-$91,068 as of May 1, 2025. Call Takers can later become Dispatchers: $56,316 up to $98,508. KCPD says it offers benefits and a pension. Read via Wayback copies (kcpolice.org is behind a bot check); posting snapshot 2026-02-01.
Source:[kcpolice.org]
Pay for this work across Missouri
Federal survey figures for public safety telecommunicators in Missouri, counting every employer in the state, public and private, so they differ from any one agency's pay scale above.
| People in this work | 2,750 |
|---|---|
| Lower pay (10th percentile) | $35,810 |
| Median pay | $46,990 |
| Higher pay (90th percentile) | $62,100 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates (all employers)[bls.gov]
Requirements
- Education: High school diploma or GED (KCPD Call Taker posting; Missouri sets no state education minimum)
- RSMo 650.340 (911 Training and Standards Act): initial training for telecommunicator first responders who answer 911 calls at a PSAP: police 16 hours, fire 16 hours, EMS 16 hours, joint communication center 40 hours
- Anyone hired as a telecommunicator after Aug. 28, 1999 must finish the initial training within 12 months of employment; equivalent training from another state can be waived in
- At least 24 hours of ongoing training every three years for as long as the person works as a telecommunicator first responder
- The Missouri 911 Service Board approves trainers and emergency medical dispatcher courses; a dispatch agency that gives prearrival medical instructions must have a medical director
- KCPD Call Taker: must live within 30 statute miles of Kansas City, MO city limits; pass medical, physical fitness, psychological evaluations and CVSA test; keystroke test 80% accuracy or better; TABE and MMPI assessments; previous typing and data entry experience required
Source:[revisor.mo.gov]
Hiring process
- Online application with cover letter and resume
- Keystroke test (80% accuracy or better)
- TABE assessment
- MMPI assessment
- CVSA test
- Medical, physical fitness and psychological evaluations
Source:[kcpolice.org]
Required training
16 hours minimum. RSMo 650.340: 16 hours per discipline (police, fire or EMS telecommunicator first responder); 40 hours for a joint communication center telecommunicator; due within 12 months of hire. Then 24 hours of ongoing training every three years.[revisor.mo.gov]
Pension and retirement
- Plan: Civilian Employees' Retirement System of the Police Department of Kansas City (RSMo 86.1310-86.1640)
- Benefit formula: Base pension of two percent of the member's final compensation times the number of years, including fractions thereof, of creditable service (RSMo 86.1540)
- When you can retire: Tier II (members joining on/after Aug. 28, 2013): normal retirement at the later of age 67 or the 20th anniversary of employment; unreduced at age 62 with 20 years, or when age + service reaches 85; reduced from age 62 with 5 years (0.5% per month before 67)
Missouri's statewide local plan is LAGERS, but KCPD civilian employees have their own statutory system, so this is the plan of pay.employer. Eligibility from RSMo 86.1530: https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=86.1530
Source:[revisor.mo.gov]