SOC 43-5031 · Modesto, CA metro

Public Safety Telecommunicators Salary in Modesto, CA

The average salary for public safety telecommunicators in Modesto, California is $67,270 a year ($32.34 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $62,460: half of the 90 people in this job in the Modesto, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 13% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($59,770).

$67,270average per year

$32.34 / hourMedian $62,460Take-home ≈ $53,845

  • $48K10th
  • $59K25th
  • $62KMedian
  • $81K75th
  • $89K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

90people in this job
+13%vs U.S. metro average
#17 of 24California metros
104cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Public Safety Telecommunicators pay range in Modesto

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $47,820 a year or less, while the top 10% make $89,340 or more. The middle half of public safety telecommunicators in Modesto earn between $59,170 and $80,980.

  • $48K10th
  • $59K25th
  • $62KMedian
  • $81K75th
  • $89K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$67,270$5,606$32.34
Median$62,460$5,205$30.03
Entry level (25th percentile)$59,170$4,931$28.45
Experienced (75th percentile)$80,980$6,748$38.93

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

Public Safety Telecommunicators salary after taxes in Modesto

On the average salary of $67,270, a single filer in Modesto takes home about $53,845 a year, or $4,487 a month and $2,071 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% 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 Modesto a good place for public safety telecommunicators? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Modesto area are 4% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 104.1), so the average $67,270 buys what about $64,616 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Modesto ($50,610). A typical home costs $468,302, or 7.0 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $67,270 is worth in another city

Public Safety Telecommunicators salary in other California cities

Modesto ranks 17th 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 Modesto: questions

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

$32.34 an hour on average, and $30.03 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $47,820 a year and the 25th percentile is $59,170, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $53,845 a year ($4,487 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $67,270. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do public safety telecommunicators earn more in Modesto than elsewhere?

The average here is 13% 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 Modesto, CA (33700). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.3%.
  • 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 0.71, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.71).

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