SOC 43-5031 · Rockford, IL metro

Public Safety Telecommunicators Salary in Rockford, IL

The average salary for public safety telecommunicators in Rockford, Illinois is $59,180 a year ($28.45 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $54,130: half of the 100 people in this job in the Rockford, IL metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 4% more than the U.S. average for this job ($56,740).

$59,180average per year

$28.45 / hourMedian $54,130Take-home ≈ $46,943

  • $36K10th
  • $54K25th
  • $54KMedian
  • $64K75th
  • $78K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

100people in this job
+4%vs U.S. average
#5 of 7Illinois metros
92cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Public Safety Telecommunicators pay range in Rockford

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,280 a year or less, while the top 10% make $78,220 or more. The middle half of public safety telecommunicators in Rockford earn between $53,850 and $64,050.

  • $36K10th
  • $54K25th
  • $54KMedian
  • $64K75th
  • $78K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$59,180$4,932$28.45
Median$54,130$4,511$26.02
Entry level (25th percentile)$53,850$4,488$25.89
Experienced (75th percentile)$64,050$5,338$30.79

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Public Safety Telecommunicators pay in Rockford vs. Illinois and the U.S.

Public safety telecommunicators in Rockford earn 7% less than the Illinois average ($63,570) and 4% more than the U.S. average ($56,740). At the median the gap is +2% against the U.S. median of $53,040.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Rockford$59,180$54,130$36,280$78,220100
Illinois$63,570$61,260$38,920$94,9704,350
United States$56,740$53,040$37,320$79,830102,500

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Public Safety Telecommunicators salary after taxes in Rockford

On the average salary of $59,180, a single filer in Rockford takes home about $46,943 a year, or $3,912 a month and $1,805 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).

Illinois paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Rockford a good place for public safety telecommunicators? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Rockford area are 8% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.2), so the average $59,180 buys what about $64,219 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Rockford ($47,120). A typical home costs $221,368, or 3.7 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $59,180 is worth in another city

Public Safety Telecommunicators salary in other Illinois cities

Rockford ranks 5th of 7 Illinois metro areas for this job; Chicago pays the most ($69,800).

All Public Safety Telecommunicators salaries in Illinois

Highest-paying cities for public safety telecommunicators

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($116,260).

Public Safety Telecommunicators salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Public Safety Telecommunicators in Rockford, IL.

Public Safety Telecommunicators salary in Rockford: questions

How much do public safety telecommunicators make an hour in Rockford?

$28.45 an hour on average, and $26.02 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level public safety telecommunicators salary in Rockford?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,280 a year and the 25th percentile is $53,850, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the public safety telecommunicators take-home pay in Rockford?

About $46,943 a year ($3,912 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $59,180.

Do public safety telecommunicators earn more in Rockford than elsewhere?

The average here is 4% more than the U.S. average for this job ($56,740).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 43-5031; area Rockford, IL (40420). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.8%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.10, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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