Prevailing Wage for Public Safety Telecommunicators
Prevailing wage for Public Safety Telecommunicators (SOC 43-5031) is set by DOL and must be met by any employer sponsoring a 911 Dispatcher, Communications Officer, or Emergency Communications Operator for an H-1B, E-3, or green card. DOL assigns four experience levels, and the floor shifts considerably depending on where the worksite is located.
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Entry-level filing for candidates with limited experience in emergency communications dispatch, typically straight out of training or with under one year on the job. Work is closely supervised and follows standard protocols with minimal independent judgment.
The most common filing level for Public Safety Telecommunicators. Applies to candidates with one to three years of dispatching experience who handle routine and non-routine calls with moderate supervision and a solid working knowledge of CAD systems and radio protocols.
Applies to experienced dispatchers who routinely handle complex multi-agency incidents, exercise significant independent judgment, and may informally guide newer staff. Typically requires three or more years in an active public safety answering point environment.
Reserved for senior or lead telecommunicators in a fully competent capacity, often coordinating dispatch operations, serving as a training officer, or managing multi-discipline emergency communications centers with minimal supervisory oversight.
Prevailing Wage for Public Safety Telecommunicators by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Public Safety Telecommunicators and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
Search visa-sponsored jobsPrevailing Wage Guide for Public Safety Telecommunicators
Verify your CAD experience matches the filed level
Employers sometimes file an L2 LCA for a role that functions at L1, particularly when hiring dispatchers transitioning from a smaller PSAP to a larger metro center. Confirm the job duties and supervision level in the offer letter align with the wage level on the LCA before signing.
Watch for California metro wage gaps in offers
San Jose and San Francisco prevailing wages for this occupation run roughly double the national median. If your offer is for a Bay Area PSAP but priced near the national floor, the employer may have filed the LCA against a different worksite location, which directly affects your compliance protection.
Exclude shift differentials when checking the floor
Night-shift and weekend differentials are common in 24-hour dispatch centers and may inflate a posted salary figure. The prevailing wage floor must be met by the base annual salary alone; variable shift pay does not count toward satisfying the DOL wage requirement.
Search Migrate Mate for agencies with sponsorship history
Public Safety Telecommunicators sponsorships are concentrated in a narrow set of municipal and county agencies. Migrate Mate shows which employers have sponsored this occupation before, so you can focus applications on agencies with an actual track record rather than those new to visa filings.
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Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 43-5031.00 alongside Public Safety Telecommunicators, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
911 Dispatcher Prevailing Wage
911 Dispatcher Prevailing Wage
911 Dispatcher positions fall under SOC 43-5031.00 (Public Safety Telecommunicators). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Communications Officer Prevailing Wage
Communications Officer Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Communications Officer for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 43-5031.00 (Public Safety Telecommunicators). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Communications Operator Prevailing Wage
Communications Operator Prevailing Wage
Communications Operator is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 43-5031.00 (Public Safety Telecommunicators). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Communications Specialist Prevailing Wage
Communications Specialist Prevailing Wage
Communications Specialist positions fall under SOC 43-5031.00 (Public Safety Telecommunicators). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Emergency Communications Dispatcher Prevailing Wage
Emergency Communications Dispatcher Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Emergency Communications Dispatcher for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 43-5031.00 (Public Safety Telecommunicators). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Emergency Communications Operator (ECO) Prevailing Wage
Emergency Communications Operator (ECO) Prevailing Wage
Emergency Communications Operator (ECO) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 43-5031.00 (Public Safety Telecommunicators). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Police Dispatcher Prevailing Wage
Police Dispatcher Prevailing Wage
Police Dispatcher positions fall under SOC 43-5031.00 (Public Safety Telecommunicators). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Public Safety Dispatcher Prevailing Wage
Public Safety Dispatcher Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Public Safety Dispatcher for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 43-5031.00 (Public Safety Telecommunicators). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Telecommunicator Prevailing Wage
Telecommunicator Prevailing Wage
Telecommunicator is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 43-5031.00 (Public Safety Telecommunicators). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Public Safety Telecommunicators?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across more than 530 metro and non-metro areas. For each area, DOL calculates four wage levels based on the distribution of wages actually paid to workers in SOC 43-5031. Employers must request a prevailing wage determination from OFLC or use the OFLC Wage Search to identify the applicable floor before filing an LCA.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
DOL's four levels reflect increasing skill and autonomy. Level 1 covers entry-level dispatchers under close supervision. Level 2 covers qualified workers handling routine duties with moderate oversight and is the most commonly filed level for this occupation. Level 3 covers experienced telecommunicators with substantial independent judgment. Level 4 covers fully competent senior or lead roles. Review the job description in the LCA against these criteria to identify which level the employer filed.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same dispatcher role vary so much by city?
DOL calculates prevailing wages from regional OES surveys, so local labor market conditions directly set the floor. A 911 dispatcher position in San Jose is surveyed against Bay Area wages, while the same title in Parkersburg, West Virginia draws from a very different local sample. Under the LCA worksite rule, the wage floor that applies is the one for the specific location where you will physically work, not the employer's headquarters.
What happens if an employer offers a salary below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An employer cannot lawfully certify an LCA at a wage below the DOL prevailing wage for the relevant level and worksite. If the offered salary is below the floor, the LCA will not pass DOL review, and USCIS will not approve a dependent H-1B or other sponsored petition. In practice this means the visa petition cannot move forward until the employer adjusts the offered wage to meet or exceed the applicable prevailing wage.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for Public Safety Telecommunicators in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search, which is DOL's official lookup tool. Enter SOC code 43-5031 and select the metro area matching your worksite city to retrieve all four wage levels. Cross-check the figure against the wage stated on any LCA the employer shares with you. For identifying which agencies have a history of sponsoring this occupation, Migrate Mate lets you filter by role and see historical sponsorship counts by employer.
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