AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 43-5031.00
Will AI replace Public Safety Telecommunicators?
Public Safety Telecommunicators: AI can already handle 3 of 18 tasks; the work mostly needs an efficient-tier model.
Have a team in this role?
Get your free 10-role sample: send this role and up to nine others, and a founder sends a board-pack PDF within two business days.
Every task, scored
The 18 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Public Safety Telecommunicators, from most to least exposed. 3 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scan status charts and computer screens, and contact emergency response field units to determine emergency units available for dispatch. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Observe alarm registers and scan maps to determine whether a specific emergency is in the dispatch service area. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Read and effectively interpret small-scale maps and information from a computer screen to determine locations and provide directions. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Monitor various radio frequencies, such as those used by public works departments, school security, and civil defense, to stay apprised of developing situations. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Provide emergency medical instructions to callers. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Question callers to determine their locations and the nature of their problems to determine type of response needed. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Determine response requirements and relative priorities of situations, and dispatch units in accordance with established procedures. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Receive incoming telephone or alarm system calls regarding emergency and non-emergency police and fire service, emergency ambulance service, information, and after-hours calls for departments within a city. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Relay information and messages to and from emergency sites, to law enforcement agencies, and to all other individuals or groups requiring notification. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Record details of calls, dispatches, and messages. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Enter, update, and retrieve information from teletype networks and computerized data systems regarding such things as wanted persons, stolen property, vehicle registration, and stolen vehicles. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Answer routine inquiries, and refer calls not requiring dispatches to appropriate departments and agencies. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Learn material and pass required tests for certification. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Monitor alarm systems to detect emergencies, such as fires and illegal entry into establishments. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Test and adjust communication and alarm systems, and report malfunctions to maintenance units. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Maintain access to, and security of, highly sensitive materials. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Operate and maintain mobile dispatch vehicles and equipment. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Maintain files of information relating to emergency calls, such as personnel rosters and emergency call-out and pager files. | Estimated | Efficient |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 18 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 18 of 18. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 89% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 100% of the work is something AI can address at some tier.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 102,500
- Median annual wage
- $53,040
- Middle half of earners
- $45,210 to $64,260
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +3.5%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance 67% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure55
- Telephone Operators 65% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure75
- Emergency Medical Technicians 62% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure50
- Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service 61% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure34
- Emergency Management Directors 60% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure48
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Public Safety Telecommunicators and AI
Will AI replace Public Safety Telecommunicators?
AI already handles 3 of the 18 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 38 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +3.5% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Public Safety Telecommunicators?
38 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 18 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 18 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Public Safety Telecommunicators tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Scan status charts and computer screens, and contact emergency response field units to determine emergency units available for dispatch; Observe alarm registers and scan maps to determine whether a specific emergency is in the dispatch service area; Read and effectively interpret small-scale maps and information from a computer screen to determine locations and provide directions. They are the tasks that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 89% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Public Safety Telecommunicators, and what do they earn?
102,500 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $53,040 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +3.5% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Public Safety Telecommunicators. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/public-safety-telecommunicators
Have a team in this role?
Get your free 10-role sample. Send this role and up to nine others, with no employee data, and a founder sends a PDF in board-pack format within two business days.
A founder replies within one business day.