Public Safety Telecommunicators Salary
The median pay for a public safety telecommunicators in Coeur d'Alene, ID is $61,070/year ($29.36/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $51K at the entry level to $79K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.29), that's roughly $62,132 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,547/month, about 38.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $61K get you in Coeur d'Alene?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Coeur d'Alene’s Regional Price Parity (98.29). 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 Coeur d'Alene
Coeur d'Alene sits well above the national pay line for public safety telecommunicators, local pay runs about 15% higher than the U.S. median of $53K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,547/month, which is 38.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.29) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for public safety telecommunicators in metros near Coeur d'Alene, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Boise City | $55K | $56K |
| Idaho Falls | $50K | $53K |
| Pocatello | $55K | $62K |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $80K | $72K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Coeur d'Alene, ID
Entry-level public safety telecommunicators (10th percentile) start around $51K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $79K or more, a $28K 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 Coeur d'Alene?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 38.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,547/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 Coeur d'Alene?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new public safety telecommunicators typically earn — is $51K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,032/month. At HUD’s $1,547/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 Coeur d'Alene?
Local pay is 15% above the national median — $61K here vs. $53K nationally.
How does Coeur d'Alene compare to the national average for public safety telecommunicators?
Coeur d'Alene pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $53K — that’s +15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.29), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do public safety telecommunicators make in Coeur d'Alene, ID?
The median is $61,070 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $50,540, and experienced public safety telecommunicators can clear $79,000. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Coeur d'Alene?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,052/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,547/month, which eats 38.2% 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 Coeur d'Alene?
Coeur d'Alene has a Regional Price Parity of 98.29 (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 $62,132 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.
