Headline risk
29%
Moderate RiskPublic safety telecommunicators
United States AI Work Index tracks this occupation on the shared structural baseline and then layers on local demand resilience, wages, and confidence.
Why This Score
Share of job tasks that overlap with current AI capabilities
Median annual wage
Projected employment change over 10 years
Typical preparation needed for this occupation
Occupation profile
Operate telephone, radio, or other communication systems to receive and communicate requests for emergency assistance at 9-1-1 public safety answering points and emergency operations centers. Take information from the public and other sources regarding crimes, threats, disturbances, acts of terrorism, fires, medical emergencies, and other public safety matters. May coordinate and provide information to law enforcement and emergency response personnel. May access sensitive databases and other information sources as needed. May provide additional instructions to callers based on knowledge of and certification in law enforcement, fire, or emergency medical procedures.
Task evidence
100% weighted task match · 7% effective coverage
Scores combine AI task overlap, human advantages, and local demand. How it works
United States Now
Median Wage
USD 50,730
Employment 2024
105.2K
Projected Change (2024–34)
3.5%
Openings (2024–34)
10.7K
Wage distribution
Demand outlook
Employment of public safety telecommunicators is projected to grow 3 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Role Profile
Tasks
- 1. Question callers to determine their locations and the nature of their problems to determine type of response needed. AI use: 0%
- 2. Determine response requirements and relative priorities of situations, and dispatch units in accordance with established procedures. AI use: 0%
- 3. Receive incoming telephone or alarm system calls regarding emergency and non-emergency police and fire service, emergency ambulance service, information, and after-hours calls for departments within a city. AI use: 0%
- 4. Relay information and messages to and from emergency sites, to law enforcement agencies, and to all other individuals or groups requiring notification. AI use: 0%
- 5. Record details of calls, dispatches, and messages. AI use: 0%
- 6. Read and effectively interpret small-scale maps and information from a computer screen to determine locations and provide directions. AI use: 100%
Technologies
Requirements
Work context
Worker profile
Median age 37.7 · 90K employed
Under 25: 9% · 25–54: 73% · 55+: 18%
Related
No direct US role match is available yet for this occupation.
Source coverage
11/11 source families · O*NET 30.2 / OEWS 2024 / ORS 2025 / OOH 2025-08-28 / Projections 2024-34 / CPS 2025 / Anthropic task penetration
Mapping quality
major_group_fallback · employment series present
Narrative & sources
Public safety telecommunicators, including 911 operators and fire dispatchers , answer emergency and nonemergency calls and provide resources to assist those in need.
Public safety telecommunicators work in emergency communication centers called public safety answering points (PSAPs). These workers usually have shifts that include evenings, weekends, and holidays to provide round-the-clock coverage. The pressure to respond quickly and calmly in alarming situations may be stressful.
Public safety telecommunicators typically need a high school diploma to enter the occupation and then are trained on the job. Many states and localities require these workers to become certified.
The median annual wage for public safety telecommunicators was $50,730 in May 2024.
Employment of public safety telecommunicators is projected to grow 3 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Published limitations
This page shows the local country layer, not realised individual job outcomes. The global structural baseline is shared across countries; only the local demand and wage layer changes here.
Built from O*NET occupation descriptions, task statements, technology skills, work context, Job Zones, Anthropic task penetration, BLS OEWS wages, BLS projection tables, BLS ORS requirements, BLS OOH narrative content, BLS skills data, and BLS CPS occupation age tables.