Public Safety Telecommunicators
Machines can already do 38% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 63%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Public Safety Telecommunicators in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 38% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 5% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2031, and 63% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 102,500 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $53,040 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 81% for contact with people.
- Also called: 911 Dispatcher, Communications Officer, Communications Operator, Communications Specialist.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Question callers to determine their locations and the nature of their problems to determine type of response needed | 16% | 40% to 68% | |
| Determine response requirements and relative priorities of situations, and dispatch units in accordance with established procedures | 16% | 10% to 27% | |
| 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 | 11% | 35% to 58% | |
| Record details of calls, dispatches, and messages | 9% | 70% to 95% | |
| Relay information and messages to and from emergency sites, to law enforcement agencies, and to all other individuals or groups requiring notification | 8% | 30% to 54% | |
| Monitor various radio frequencies, such as those used by public works departments, school security, and civil defense, to stay apprised of developing situations | 8% | 40% to 80% | |
| 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 | 6% | 60% to 88% | |
| Read and effectively interpret small-scale maps and information from a computer screen to determine locations and provide directions | 5% | 85% to 97% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills public safety telecommunicators use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers55% of tasks by 2035 · US median $55,940
- First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers40% of tasks by 2035 · US median $77,970
- Airfield Operations Specialists55% of tasks by 2035 · US median $56,850
- Security Guards58% of tasks by 2035 · US median $38,020
What should you do about it?
Open this job in the Workforce Starburst to see it for your country, then use these to act on it.
Watch This Job
Get told when the outlook for this job changes.
Free planSkills to learn next
The skills that make this job, or the next one, last longer.
In the StarburstCheck your readiness
Ten quick questions on how ready you are.
FreeAsk Vantage
Ask what this job means for you and get a sourced answer.
Free to askFutures Academy courses
Courses matched to your gaps.
Coming soonPay trend
Where pay for this job is heading.
Coming soonTeam plan
Every role in your team, side by side, with a plan for each.
Pro and CorporateShared workspace
Work through it with your team, with notes and decisions kept.
Pro and Corporate
Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Public Safety Telecommunicators?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2031. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of public safety telecommunicators?
Machines can do 38% of the tasks of public safety telecommunicators today and 63% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 43-5031.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Public Safety Telecommunicators: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/public-safety-telecommunicators/