Public Safety Telecommunicators Salary
The median pay for a public safety telecommunicators in Columbus, GA-AL is $37,910/year ($18.22/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $33K at the entry level to $46K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.3), which stretches that salary to about $42,452 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,088/month, about 42.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $38K get you in Columbus?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Columbus’s Regional Price Parity (89.3). 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 Columbus
Pay for public safety telecommunicators in Columbus runs about 29% below the U.S. median of $53K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,088/month, which is 42.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.3 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for public safety telecommunicatorss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for public safety telecommunicators in metros near Columbus, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $49K | $49K |
| Augusta-Richmond County | $46K | $50K |
| Savannah | $46K | $49K |
| Warner Robins | $49K | $52K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Columbus, GA-AL
Entry-level public safety telecommunicators (10th percentile) start around $33K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $46K or more, a $14K 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 Columbus?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 42.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,088/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/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 Columbus?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new public safety telecommunicators typically earn — is $33K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,958/month. At HUD’s $1,088/month FMR, rent would take 56% 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 Columbus?
Local pay runs 29% below the national median — $38K here vs. $53K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Columbus compare to the national average for public safety telecommunicators?
Columbus pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $53K — that’s -29%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.3), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — below the national median.
How much do public safety telecommunicators make in Columbus, GA-AL?
The median is $37,910 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,630, and experienced public safety telecommunicators can clear $46,150. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in Columbus?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,572/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,088/month, which eats 42.3% 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 Columbus?
Columbus has a Regional Price Parity of 89.3 (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 $42,452 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.