How to become a 911 dispatcher in Tennessee
In Tennessee, 911 dispatchers are hired by city, county and regional 911 centers. The Tennessee Emergency Communications Board (TECB) sets the statewide standards; the credential is Public Safety Telecommunicator (911 dispatcher). At the Metro Nashville Department of Emergency Communications, new hires start at $52,850 a year, rising to $89,544.
Pay at the Metro Nashville Department of Emergency Communications
Each city and county sets its own pay. This is the official scale of the Metro Nashville Department of Emergency Communications, the largest city's agency.
| Starting salary | $52,850 |
|---|---|
| Top of scale | $89,544 |
| Scale effective | 2026-07-01 |
Start = Emergency Telecommunications Officer 1 (grade ET01); top = the last step of Officer 3 (ET03), reached by automatic progression. Hourly × 2080.
Source:[nashville.gov]
Pay for this work across Tennessee
Federal survey figures for public safety telecommunicators in Tennessee, counting every employer in the state, public and private, so they differ from any one agency's pay scale above.
| People in this work | 1,840 |
|---|---|
| Lower pay (10th percentile) | $33,840 |
| Median pay | $46,390 |
| Higher pay (90th percentile) | $66,180 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates (all employers)[bls.gov]
Requirements
- The TECB dispatcher training rule (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0780-06-02) sets training minimums only; it sets no age, education or citizenship standard
- Every emergency call taker or public safety dispatcher who receives an initial or transferred 911 call: at least 40 hours of supervised on-the-job training plus at least 45 hours of public safety communications coursework
- New hires have six months from the date of employment to comply
- Telecommunicator CPR (T-CPR) course required (T.C.A. 7-86-205(a)(2)); T-CPR hours may count toward the minimums
- Continuing education: at least 10 hours every two years after initial training, including 2 hours on 911 calls involving missing or exploited children
Required training
85 hours minimum. TECB rule 0780-06-02-.03: no less than 40 hours of supervised on-the-job training and no less than 45 hours of public safety communications coursework from an academy, agency or post-secondary institution, completed within six months of hire. Nashville DEC describes a paid, one-year, APCO-accredited training program.[publications.tnsosfiles.com]
Pension and retirement
- Plan: Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS), political subdivision plans
Local governments that participate in TCRS choose a plan design (Legacy or Hybrid); local employees are in the Hybrid plan only if their employer adopted it, so the formula varies by employer. Metro Nashville's DEC recruitment page advertises a 'fully funded pension' without naming the plan.
Source:[nashville.gov]