Public Safety Telecommunicators Salary
The median pay for a public safety telecommunicators in South Carolina is $43,540/year ($20.94/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $57K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.17), which stretches that salary to about $46,732 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,263/month, about 42.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across South Carolina. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $44K get you in South Carolina?
About public safety telecommunicators
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in South Carolina
Pay for public safety telecommunicators in South Carolina runs about 18% below the U.S. median of $53K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,263/month, which is 42.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.17 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, South Carolina
Entry-level public safety telecommunicators (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $44K. Top earners bring in $57K or more, a $22K spread from bottom to top.
Public Safety Telecommunicators salary by metro in South Carolina
7 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach | $53K | +23% | 90 |
| Charleston-North Charleston | $49K | +13% | 240 |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal | $48K | +9% | 50 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $44K | +1% | 240 |
| Spartanburg | $41K | -5% | 60 |
| Florence | $41K | -6% | 90 |
| Columbia | $41K | -6% | 220 |
Compare to other states
Track public safety telecommunicators salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when South Carolina numbers change.
Related careers in Office & Admin
Frequently asked questions
Can a public safety telecommunicator afford a 2BR apartment alone in South Carolina?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $44K, rent takes 42.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,263/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 South Carolina?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new public safety telecommunicators typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,071/month. At HUD’s $1,263/month FMR, rent would take 61% 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 South Carolina?
Local pay runs 18% below the national median — $44K here vs. $53K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does South Carolina compare to the national average for public safety telecommunicators?
South Carolina pays $44K median vs. the U.S. average of $53K — that’s -18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.17), the purchasing-power equivalent is $47K — below the national median.
How much do public safety telecommunicators make in South Carolina?
The median is $43,540 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,520, and experienced public safety telecommunicators can clear $56,930. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $44K enough to live in South Carolina?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,989/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,263/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 South Carolina?
South Carolina has a Regional Price Parity of 93.17 (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 $46,732 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.