How to become a 911 dispatcher in Wisconsin
In Wisconsin, 911 dispatchers are hired by city, county and regional 911 centers. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (telecommunicator CPR mandate, Wis. Stat. 256.35(2m)) sets the statewide standards; the credential is Public Safety Telecommunicator (911 dispatcher). At the City of Milwaukee Department of Emergency Communications, new hires start at $58,014 a year, rising to $74,186.
Pay at the City of Milwaukee Department of Emergency Communications
Each city and county sets its own pay. This is the official scale of the City of Milwaukee Department of Emergency Communications, the largest city's agency.
| Starting salary | $58,014 |
|---|---|
| Top of scale | $74,186 |
| Scale effective | 2025-12-21 |
Emergency Communications Officer I recruitment rate to the range maximum in the 2026 city salary ordinance.
Source:[web.archive.org]
Pay for this work across Wisconsin
Federal survey figures for public safety telecommunicators in Wisconsin, counting every employer in the state, public and private, so they differ from any one agency's pay scale above.
| People in this work | 1,820 |
|---|---|
| Lower pay (10th percentile) | $46,430 |
| Median pay | $60,000 |
| Higher pay (90th percentile) | $74,970 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates (all employers)[bls.gov]
Requirements
- No statewide dispatcher training-hours or certification standard found in Wis. Stat. 256.35 (as of 2026-10-28); the statute's dispatcher training requirement is telecommunicator CPR
- Since May 1, 2021 every PSAP must provide telephone CPR instructions, either by giving each dispatcher CPR training that includes CPR certification, an evidence-based T-CPR protocol or script, and continuing education set by DHS, or by transferring calls to a center whose dispatchers meet those requirements
- Every PSAP must run ongoing quality assurance of its dispatcher-assisted bystander CPR program
Source:[docs.legis.wisconsin.gov]
Required training
Length not published. No state-required initial training hours found; only the T-CPR training and CPR certification requirement of Wis. Stat. 256.35(2m).[docs.legis.wisconsin.gov]
Pension and retirement
- Plan: Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS), general category
- Benefit formula: Higher of two methods: formula benefit = final average earnings (three highest years) x formula multiplier for the employment category x years of creditable service, actuarially reduced before normal retirement age; or money purchase (account balance x age factor)
- When you can retire: Vested members may receive a benefit from minimum retirement age 55 after leaving all WRS employment; members first employed on or after July 1, 2011 vest after 5 years of WRS creditable service
The general-category multiplier and normal retirement age were not on the ETF page fetched. The retirement plan of pay.employer (City of Milwaukee) was not checked.
Source:[etf.wi.gov]