SOC 43-5031 · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro

Public Safety Telecommunicators Salary in Philadelphia, PA

The average salary for public safety telecommunicators in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is $57,780 a year ($27.78 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $56,960: half of the 1,750 people in this job in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($56,740).

$57,780average per year

$27.78 / hourMedian $56,960Take-home ≈ $46,832

  • $49K10th
  • $50K25th
  • $57KMedian
  • $64K75th
  • $74K90th

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

1,750people in this job
+2%vs U.S. average
#1 of 12Pennsylvania metros
103cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Public Safety Telecommunicators pay range in Philadelphia

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,700 a year or less, while the top 10% make $74,170 or more. The middle half of public safety telecommunicators in Philadelphia earn between $49,890 and $63,570.

  • $49K10th
  • $50K25th
  • $57KMedian
  • $64K75th
  • $74K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$57,780$4,815$27.78
Median$56,960$4,747$27.38
Entry level (25th percentile)$49,890$4,158$23.99
Experienced (75th percentile)$63,570$5,298$30.56

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

Public Safety Telecommunicators pay in Philadelphia vs. Pennsylvania and the U.S.

Public safety telecommunicators in Philadelphia earn 11% more than the Pennsylvania average ($52,070) and about the same as the U.S. average ($56,740). At the median the gap is +7% against the U.S. median of $53,040.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Philadelphia$57,780$56,960$48,700$74,1701,750
Pennsylvania$52,070$49,890$39,350$64,3703,620
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 Philadelphia

On the average salary of $57,780, a single filer in Philadelphia takes home about $46,832 a year, or $3,903 a month and $1,801 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.

The Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in NJ$46,962$3,913
Working in PA$46,832$3,903
Working in MD$46,073$3,839
Working in DE$45,966$3,831

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.

Pennsylvania paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Philadelphia area are 3% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 102.6), so the average $57,780 buys what about $56,341 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Philadelphia ($54,310). A typical home costs $390,463, or 6.8 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $57,780 is worth in another city

Public Safety Telecommunicators salary in other Pennsylvania cities

Philadelphia ranks 1st of 12 Pennsylvania metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Public Safety Telecommunicators salaries in Pennsylvania

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 Philadelphia, PA.

Public Safety Telecommunicators salary in Philadelphia: questions

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

$27.78 an hour on average, and $27.38 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,700 a year and the 25th percentile is $49,890, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $46,832 a year ($3,903 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $57,780. Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.

Do public safety telecommunicators earn more in Philadelphia than elsewhere?

The average here is about the same as 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD (37980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.4%.
  • 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). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.92, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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