Public Safety Telecommunicators Salary
The median pay for a public safety telecommunicators in Auburn-Opelika, AL is $47,120/year ($22.66/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $33K at the entry level to $59K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.93), which stretches that salary to about $53,588 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $995/month, about 31% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $47K get you in Auburn-Opelika?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Auburn-Opelika’s Regional Price Parity (87.93). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About public safety telecommunicators
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What this looks like in Auburn-Opelika
Pay for public safety telecommunicators in Auburn-Opelika runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $53K. Rent runs $995/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31.7% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.93 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for public safety telecommunicators in metros near Auburn-Opelika, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | $47K | $52K |
| Mobile | $40K | $46K |
| Montgomery | $39K | $43K |
| Tuscaloosa | $44K | $50K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Auburn-Opelika, AL
Entry-level public safety telecommunicators (10th percentile) start around $33K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $59K or more, a $26K spread from bottom to top.
Public Safety Telecommunicators pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Public Safety Telecommunicators salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $80K | +51% | 8,520 |
| Washington | $79K | +49% | 1,980 |
| Oregon | $72K | +36% | 1,110 |
| Alaska | $67K | +26% | 390 |
| Minnesota | $67K | +25% | 1,460 |
| Colorado | $64K | +20% | 1,800 |
| Connecticut | $62K | +18% | 1,820 |
| Massachusetts | $62K | +16% | 2,790 |
| New York | $61K | +16% | 5,470 |
| Illinois | $61K | +15% | 4,350 |
| Nevada | $60K | +13% | 1,010 |
| Wisconsin | $60K | +13% | 1,820 |
| North Dakota | $60K | +13% | 270 |
| Vermont | $59K | +12% | 280 |
| New Jersey | $59K | +12% | 4,010 |
| District of Columbia | $59K | +11% | 60 |
| Maryland | $59K | +11% | 1,610 |
| Rhode Island | $58K | +10% | 370 |
| New Hampshire | $58K | +10% | 560 |
| Ohio | $58K | +10% | 4,550 |
| Maine | $57K | +8% | 730 |
| Hawaii | $57K | +8% | 170 |
| Iowa | $57K | +7% | 980 |
| Arizona | $57K | +7% | 1,790 |
| Utah | $54K | +2% | 880 |
| Michigan | $53K | +1% | 2,100 |
| Delaware | $53K | +0% | 260 |
| Idaho | $52K | -2% | 580 |
| Wyoming | $51K | -5% | 350 |
| Virginia | $50K | -5% | 3,050 |
| Nebraska | $50K | -5% | 750 |
| Florida | $50K | -5% | 6,090 |
| Texas | $50K | -6% | 7,730 |
| Pennsylvania | $50K | -6% | 3,620 |
| New Mexico | $49K | -8% | 640 |
| Indiana | $49K | -8% | 2,150 |
| South Dakota | $48K | -10% | 420 |
| Montana | $48K | -10% | 560 |
| Missouri | $47K | -11% | 2,750 |
| North Carolina | $47K | -12% | 3,730 |
| Tennessee | $46K | -13% | 1,840 |
| Kentucky | $46K | -14% | 1,350 |
| Kansas | $45K | -15% | 1,370 |
| South Carolina | $44K | -18% | 1,490 |
| Georgia | $43K | -19% | 3,480 |
| West Virginia | $40K | -24% | 880 |
| Oklahoma | $40K | -25% | 1,930 |
| Alabama | $39K | -27% | 2,230 |
| Louisiana | $39K | -27% | 1,470 |
| Arkansas | $38K | -28% | 1,460 |
| Mississippi | $35K | -35% | 1,430 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track public safety telecommunicators salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a public safety telecommunicator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Auburn-Opelika?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 31.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $995/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for public safety telecommunicators in Auburn-Opelika?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new public safety telecommunicators typically earn — is $33K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,963/month. At HUD’s $995/month FMR, rent would take 51% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is public safety telecommunicator a high-paying job in Auburn-Opelika?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $47K here vs. $53K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Auburn-Opelika compare to the national average for public safety telecommunicators?
Auburn-Opelika pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $53K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.93), the purchasing-power equivalent is $54K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do public safety telecommunicators make in Auburn-Opelika, AL?
The median is $47,120 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,710, and experienced public safety telecommunicators can clear $58,890. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in Auburn-Opelika?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,142/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $995/month, which eats 31.7% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a public safety telecommunicators salary go in Auburn-Opelika?
Auburn-Opelika has a Regional Price Parity of 87.93 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median public safety telecommunicators salary is worth about $53,588 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do public safety telecommunicators get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.