Public Safety Telecommunicators Salary
The median pay for a public safety telecommunicators in Montana is $47,640/year ($22.91/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $61K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97), that's roughly $49,113 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,129/month, about 34.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Montana. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $48K get you in Montana?
About public safety telecommunicators
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What this looks like in Montana
Public safety telecommunicators pay in Montana tracks closely to the national median, $48K locally vs. $53K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,129/month, which is 35.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Montana
Entry-level public safety telecommunicators (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $61K or more, a $22K spread from bottom to top.
Public Safety Telecommunicators salary by metro in Montana
2 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billings | $56K | +18% | 50 |
| Helena | $54K | +12% | 50 |
Compare to other states
Track public safety telecommunicators salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Montana numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a public safety telecommunicator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Montana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 35.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,129/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Montana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new public safety telecommunicators typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,359/month. At HUD’s $1,129/month FMR, rent would take 48% 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 Montana?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $48K locally vs. $53K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Montana compare to the national average for public safety telecommunicators?
Montana pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $53K — that’s -10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $49K — below the national median.
How much do public safety telecommunicators make in Montana?
The median is $47,640 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,310, and experienced public safety telecommunicators can clear $61,270. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Montana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,218/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,129/month, which eats 35.1% 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 Montana?
Montana has a Regional Price Parity of 97 (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 $49,113 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.