Public Safety Telecommunicators Salary
The median pay for a public safety telecommunicators in Texas is $50,040/year ($24.06/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $64K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.49), which stretches that salary to about $54,695 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,415/month, about 40.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Texas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $50K get you in Texas?
About public safety telecommunicators
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What this looks like in Texas
Public safety telecommunicators pay in Texas tracks closely to the national median, $50K locally vs. $53K nationwide, a 6% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,415/month, which is 40.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Texas
Entry-level public safety telecommunicators (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $50K. Top earners bring in $64K or more, a $26K spread from bottom to top.
Public Safety Telecommunicators salary by metro in Texas
24 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $62K | +23% | 590 |
| Midland | $61K | +22% | 30 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $58K | +16% | 1,870 |
| Amarillo | $58K | +16% | 80 |
| Sherman-Denison | $54K | +7% | 40 |
| Abilene | $51K | +3% | 50 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $50K | +0% | 1,510 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $50K | +0% | 600 |
| Lubbock | $50K | -0% | 110 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | $50K | -0% | 140 |
| Killeen-Temple | $49K | -3% | 150 |
| Tyler | $49K | -3% | 70 |
| Waco | $47K | -6% | 90 |
| El Paso | $47K | -6% | 210 |
| College Station-Bryan | $47K | -7% | 60 |
| Corpus Christi | $46K | -8% | 160 |
| Wichita Falls | $46K | -8% | 60 |
| San Angelo | $45K | -9% | 40 |
| Longview | $45K | -10% | 110 |
| Laredo | $41K | -17% | 70 |
| Texarkana | $40K | -20% | 50 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | $39K | -22% | 240 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen | $37K | -26% | 90 |
| Eagle Pass | $34K | -32% | 40 |
Showing 1–10 of 24 metros
Compare to other states
Track public safety telecommunicators salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Texas numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a public safety telecommunicator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Texas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $50K, rent takes 40.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,415/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/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 Texas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new public safety telecommunicators typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,277/month. At HUD’s $1,415/month FMR, rent would take 62% 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 Texas?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $50K locally vs. $53K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Texas compare to the national average for public safety telecommunicators?
Texas pays $50K median vs. the U.S. average of $53K — that’s -6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $55K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do public safety telecommunicators make in Texas?
The median is $50,040 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,950, and experienced public safety telecommunicators can clear $64,190. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $50K enough to live in Texas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,521/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,415/month, which eats 40.2% 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 Texas?
Texas has a Regional Price Parity of 91.49 (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 $54,695 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.