Public Safety Telecommunicators Salary
The median pay for a public safety telecommunicators in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR is $42,140/year ($20.26/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $49K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.36), which stretches that salary to about $47,158 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,147/month, about 39.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $42K get you in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway’s Regional Price Parity (89.36). 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 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway
Pay for public safety telecommunicators in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway runs about 21% below the U.S. median of $53K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,147/month, which is 40% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.36 (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 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers | $45K | $50K |
| Fort Smith | $37K | $43K |
| Hot Springs | $40K | $47K |
| Jonesboro | $41K | $48K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR
Entry-level public safety telecommunicators (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $42K. Top earners bring in $49K or more, a $15K 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
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a public safety telecommunicator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $42K, rent takes 40% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,147/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 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new public safety telecommunicators typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,023/month. At HUD’s $1,147/month FMR, rent would take 57% 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 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway?
Local pay runs 21% below the national median — $42K here vs. $53K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway compare to the national average for public safety telecommunicators?
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway pays $42K median vs. the U.S. average of $53K — that’s -21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.36), the purchasing-power equivalent is $47K — below the national median.
How much do public safety telecommunicators make in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR?
The median is $42,140 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $33,720, and experienced public safety telecommunicators can clear $48,870. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $42K enough to live in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,869/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,147/month, which eats 40% 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 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway?
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway has a Regional Price Parity of 89.36 (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 $47,158 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.