New York: It’s home to the world’s top financial center and the most densely populated city in the U.S. (8.2 million people and growing), so you can bet the 911 system in this state is just as massive. According to the New York Department of Labor, there were 4,460 operators working here in 2016; by 2026, this number is projected to increase by nearly 14% to 5,070.
The median salary for 911 operators in New York is $45,820 – about $5,000 higher than the national average. The top 10% here earn $66,460.
Agencies and Jurisdictions Employing Dispatchers in New York
The New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services oversees the state’s 911 system and its 133 primary PSAPs and 47 secondary PSAPs. In the last decade, many of the state’s PSAPs have been consolidated, so now most counties have a single PSAP, resulting in a more efficient system.
The median salary for 911 operators in the New York metro area is slightly higher than the state and about $2,000-$4,000 higher than other metro areas throughout the state. 911 dispatchers in NYC alone receive more than 11 million calls every year.
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, includes:
- New York City Police Department – Staten Island
- New York City Police Department – Queens
- New York City Police Department – Manhattan
- New York City Police Department – Brooklyn
- New York City Police Department – Bronx
- White Plains Police Department
- Nassau County Police Department
- Suffolk County Police Department
- Southampton Town Police Department
- 10th percentile: $15.67/$32,590
- Median: $22.30/$46,390
- 90th percentile: $33.23/$69,110
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, includes:
- Erie County Sheriff’s Office
- Central Police Services Buffalo 9-1-1
- Buffalo Police Department
- Niagara Falls Police Department
- Niagara County Sheriff’s Department
- 10th percentile: $14.08/$29,280
- Median: $20.67/$42,990
- 90th percentile: $29.68/$61,120
Rochester, includes:
- Livingston County Emergency Management Office
- Ontario County 9-1-1 Center
- 10th percentile: $14.59/$30,340
- Median: $20.94/$43,560
- 90th percentile: $29.96/$62,310
Syracuse, includes:
- New York State Police-Auburn
- Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office
- Onondaga County Department Of Emergency Communications
- Oswego County E9-1-1 Center
- 10th percentile: $14.75/$30,680
- Median: $21.96/45,670
- 90th percentile: $29.08/60,490
New York 911 Operators: Salaries and Employment by Metro Area
All metro areas in New York, with the exception of Utica-Rome ($36,160), reveal median annual salaries for 911 operators that far exceed the national average of $40,660. Ithaca comes out on top in terms of median salary, at $48,480 – that’s about $8,000 more than the national average and about $3,000 more than the state average.
Salary and employment data compiled by the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics in May of 2018. Figures represent accumulated data for all areas of employment for emergency services dispatchers https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_ny.htm#43-5031. BLS salary data represents state and MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area) average and median earnings for the occupations listed and includes workers at all levels of education and experience. This data does not represent starting salaries. Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Job growth projections sourced from the New York Department of Labor and published in the U.S. Department of Labor-funded Long Term Occupational Projections (2016-2026) database – https://projectionscentral.com/Projections/LongTerm.
All salary and job growth data accessed in June 2019.