How to become a 911 dispatcher in New Mexico

Pay at the Albuquerque Police Department Emergency Communications (PD-Communication Services)

Each city and county sets its own pay. This is the official scale of the Albuquerque Police Department Emergency Communications (PD-Communication Services), the largest city's agency.

City of Albuquerque Clerical and Technical (AFSCME Local 2962) schedule revised 9/30/2025: Telecommunication Operator I, grade 107, salary $53,248.00 (non-probationary hourly rate $25.60 x 2080); grade 107 range $43,019.90 min / $60,227.85 max. Higher titles: Telecommunication Operator I/cert (grade 108) $57,408.00 ($27.60/hr); Telecommunication Operator II (grade 109) $58,780.80 ($28.26/hr); Telecommunication Oper II/cert (grade 110) $62,940.80 ($30.26/hr), grade 110 max $70,722.04. topAnnual = grade 107 maximum.

Source:[cabq.gov]

Pay for this work across New Mexico

Federal survey figures for public safety telecommunicators in New Mexico, counting every employer in the state, public and private, so they differ from any one agency's pay scale above.

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates (all employers)[bls.gov]

Requirements

• Public safety telecommunicators must be certified by the NM Law Enforcement Academy Board; the agency must submit the application within 30 days of hire, and initial certification requirements must be completed within one year of the initial hire date (10.29.10.10 NMAC)
• Basic Public Safety Telecommunicator course: minimum 130 hours in eight blocks (12 prerequisite distance-learning hours on ICS/NIMS + at least 118 contact hours), ending with the NM PST certification exam (10.29.10.8 NMAC)
• No certification for anyone convicted of (or pled guilty/no contest to) any felony, or within the prior 3 years certain offenses involving aggravated assault, theft, DWI, controlled substances or moral turpitude; DPS and FBI fingerprint clearance required (10.29.10.11 NMAC)
• In-service: minimum 20 hours of training every two years, including at least 2 hours on interacting with persons with mental impairments (10.29.7.9 NMAC)
• Emergency medical dispatchers have separate licensing requirements (referenced in 10.29.10.8 NMAC Block 7)

Source:[srca.nm.gov]

Entrance exam

New Mexico public safety telecommunicator certification examination. Given at the end of the LEA basic PST academy to students who completed all training standards. Two attempts within one year of completing the program; failing twice requires re-enrolling in the academy program (10.29.10.13 NMAC). Experienced telecommunicators may certify by waiver but must pass the exam (10.29.6.12 NMAC).[srca.nm.gov]

Required training

130 hours minimum. 10.29.10.8 NMAC: minimum 130 hours in eight blocks of instruction; 12 hours of prerequisite distance learning (Block 1, ICS/NIMS) must be completed before the academy, leaving a minimum of 118 contact hours (e.g., Block 2 academy administration 30 h, Block 3 basic telecommunicator skills 40 h, Block 4 law 13 h, Block 5 crisis intervention 8 h). Rule effective June 27, 2017.[srca.nm.gov]

Pension and retirement

• Plan: Public Employees Retirement Association of New Mexico (PERA) - Municipal General Member plan
• When you can retire: Tier 2 (first hired on/after July 1, 2013), Municipal General Plans 1-4: age 65 with 5 or more years of service credit, or Rule of 85 (age + service = 85, with at least 5 years); vested at 5 years

The pension factor depends on which municipal general coverage plan the employer has adopted (PERA lists different Tier 2 factors by plan); the plan used by the City of Albuquerque was not confirmed.

Source:[nmpera.org]