How to become a 911 dispatcher in Pennsylvania
In Pennsylvania, 911 dispatchers are hired by city, county and regional 911 centers. The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) 911 Office sets the statewide standards; the credential is Telecommunicator certification (call-taker, dispatcher, supervisor) under a PEMA-certified PSAP training program. At the Philadelphia Fire Department Fire Communications Center (Police and Fire hire dispatchers from one civil-service list), new hires start at $49,039 a year, rising to $62,660. You must be at least 18.
Pay at the Philadelphia Fire Department Fire Communications Center (Police and Fire hire dispatchers from one civil-service list)
Each city and county sets its own pay. This is the official scale of the Philadelphia Fire Department Fire Communications Center (Police and Fire hire dispatchers from one civil-service list), the largest city's agency.
| Starting salary | $49,039 |
|---|---|
| Top of scale | $62,660 |
phila.gov 'Become a dispatcher' (PFD): fire equipment dispatcher trainee starts at $49,039; after a year of good performance trainees are promoted to fire equipment dispatcher, starting at $55,907 and going up to $62,660. An April 2026 PFD FAQ post still lists the older figures ($46,224 trainee; $52,698-$57,905 dispatcher). Overtime available. Civil-service title: 'Police Communications/Fire Equipment Dispatcher Trainee'.
Source:[phila.gov]
Pay for this work across Pennsylvania
Federal survey figures for public safety telecommunicators in Pennsylvania, counting every employer in the state, public and private, so they differ from any one agency's pay scale above.
| People in this work | 3,620 |
|---|---|
| Lower pay (10th percentile) | $39,350 |
| Median pay | $49,890 |
| Higher pay (90th percentile) | $64,370 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates (all employers)[bls.gov]
Requirements
- Minimum age: 18
- Education: High school diploma or GED
- PEMA's Pennsylvania 911 Training, Certification, and QA/QI Improvement Requirements (adopted Dec 2023) replace 4 Pa. Code Chapters 120c and 120d; each PSAP certifies its own call-takers, dispatchers and supervisors under a training program certified by the PEMA 911 Office
- To be certified a candidate must be at least 18, hold a high school diploma or GED, be free of a criminal history that would prohibit fulfilling the duties of the position as defined by the employer, meet any employer-specific qualifications (e.g., pre-employment testing), and complete trainee (basic/entry-level) telecommunicator training (Section 1.09)
- Certification is valid for two years; recertification requires at least 24 continuing education units every two years (Section 1.10)
- EMD, emergency fire dispatch and police dispatch protocols must be used by all PSAPs; call-takers who process medical calls need training including CPR certification and emergency medical dispatch (EMD)
- Philadelphia (largest city) adds a residency rule: bona fide residence in the City at least one year before appointment
Source:[pema.pa.gov]
Hiring process
- Check the City jobs page for the Civil Service exam announcement (Police Communications/Fire Equipment Dispatcher Trainee)
- Apply for the position
- Take the civil service exam; candidates ranked on a hiring list
- Police or Fire Department requests the list and contacts candidates in rank order
- Interview (PFD human resources and Fire Communications Center chiefs)
- Paid training: six to eight weeks of classroom training and up to four weeks of on-the-job training
Source:[phila.gov]
Entrance exam
City of Philadelphia Civil Service exam - Police Communications/Fire Equipment Dispatcher Trainee. No state certification exam; PSAPs certify their own telecommunicators. Philadelphia ranks candidates by exam performance on a hiring list shared by Police and Fire.[phila.gov]
Required training
Length not published, paid. The Dec 2023 PEMA requirements set required training topics (ICS-100, IS-700, call processing, protocols, CPR/EMD for medical call-takers, on-the-job training with DORs) and require programs to document instructional hours, but set no statewide minimum hour total. The superseded 4 Pa. Code 120c required 104 hours for call-takers. Philadelphia trainees get six to eight weeks of paid classroom training plus up to four weeks of on-the-job training (an April 2026 PFD FAQ says 12 weeks of classroom training).[phila.gov]
Pension and retirement
- Plan: City of Philadelphia Municipal Retirement System (Board of Pensions and Retirement) - Plan 16 (hybrid defined benefit/defined contribution)
- Benefit formula: 2.2% of average final compensation per year for years 1-10 and 2% for years 11-49; AFC = average of the 3 highest annual compensations, capped at $65,000 (pay above $65,000 goes to the defined-contribution match portion)
- When you can retire: Plan 16: minimum retirement age 60; vested after 10 years of credited service (7 years if civil-service exempt)
Source:[phila.gov]