SOC 43-5031 · El Centro, CA metro

Public Safety Telecommunicators Salary in El Centro, CA

The average salary for public safety telecommunicators in El Centro, California is $62,500 a year ($30.05 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $58,560: half of the 40 people in this job in the El Centro, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 5% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($59,770).

$62,500average per year

$30.05 / hourMedian $58,560Take-home ≈ $50,456

  • $49K10th
  • $49K25th
  • $59KMedian
  • $78K75th
  • $91K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

40people in this job
+5%vs U.S. metro average
#22 of 24California metros
95cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Public Safety Telecommunicators pay range in El Centro

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,790 a year or less, while the top 10% make $90,920 or more. The middle half of public safety telecommunicators in El Centro earn between $49,130 and $78,210.

  • $49K10th
  • $49K25th
  • $59KMedian
  • $78K75th
  • $91K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$62,500$5,208$30.05
Median$58,560$4,880$28.15
Entry level (25th percentile)$49,130$4,094$23.62
Experienced (75th percentile)$78,210$6,518$37.60

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

Public Safety Telecommunicators salary after taxes in El Centro

On the average salary of $62,500, a single filer in El Centro takes home about $50,456 a year, or $4,205 a month and $1,941 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

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

Prices in the El Centro area are 5% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 95.2), so the average $62,500 buys what about $65,669 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in El Centro ($45,140). A typical home costs $379,330, or 6.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $62,500 is worth in another city

Public Safety Telecommunicators salary in other California cities

El Centro ranks 22nd of 24 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($116,260).

All Public Safety Telecommunicators salaries in California

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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Public Safety Telecommunicators salary in El Centro: questions

How much do public safety telecommunicators make an hour in El Centro?

$30.05 an hour on average, and $28.16 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,790 a year and the 25th percentile is $49,130, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $50,456 a year ($4,205 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $62,500. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do public safety telecommunicators earn more in El Centro than elsewhere?

The average here is 5% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($59,770).

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 El Centro, CA (20940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.4%.
  • 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). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.90, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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