Highest 911 Dispatcher Salaries in California, 2025

Where do 911 dispatchers earn the most in California?

The 25 employers with the highest average total pay of full-year dispatchers, overtime included.

Highest average total pay

Highest 911 dispatcher base pay in California

Average base pay of full-year dispatchers, without overtime and other pay: closer to what the job pays for a regular schedule.

Highest average base pay

Which California employers pay new 911 dispatchers the most?

The bottom of the official pay range for each employer's entry-level dispatcher title, as reported.

Highest starting salary

Where do California 911 dispatchers earn the most overtime?

Average overtime paid to full-year dispatchers in 2025. A few people with a lot of overtime can pull an employer's average up.

Highest average overtime

Do cities or counties pay 911 dispatchers more in California?

By the middle employer's average total pay: $124,933 for joint powers authorities (9 employers), $121,233 for cities (180 employers) and $103,837 for counties (44 employers). Of the 25 best-paying employers, 17 are cities, 5 counties and 1 a joint powers authority.

Joint powers authorities: $124,933; middle joint powers authority's average, of 9; 1 in the top 25
Cities: $121,233; middle city's average, of 180; 17 in the top 25
Counties: $103,837; middle county's average, of 44; 5 in the top 25

Which California counties pay 911 dispatchers the most?

Average total pay of full-year dispatchers across every employer in the county, for the 50 counties with at least 5 of them. The dashed line marks the California average of $126,606.

San Francisco$192,456
San Mateo$173,692
Santa Clara$171,634
Contra Costa$162,341
Alameda$161,616
Napa$158,688
Marin$153,474
Monterey$150,076
Ventura$138,233
Orange$137,560
Solano$135,708
Santa Barbara$134,413
Sonoma$129,342
Nevada$126,235
San Joaquin$123,790
Placer$122,567
Los Angeles$121,075
San Diego$119,104
Riverside$116,888
Shasta$116,505
Sutter$115,536
Stanislaus$113,705
Amador$112,499
San Bernardino$111,808
Sacramento$111,499

San Luis Obispo$111,414
El Dorado$109,117
Mendocino$104,096
Yolo$102,437
Butte$100,327
Inyo$99,210
Colusa$95,397
Lake$93,005
Yuba$92,458
Kern$89,844
Tulare$86,825
Fresno$85,874
Glenn$85,202
Humboldt$82,921
Tehama$82,498
Madera$79,764
Tuolumne$79,701
Kings$79,515
Merced$76,673
Siskiyou$76,065
Imperial$73,417
Trinity$71,262
Plumas$67,365
Mariposa$59,360
Modoc$57,616

The highest-paying employer for 911 dispatchers in each California county

By average total pay of full-year dispatchers, among the county's employers with at least 5 of them.

Alameda CountyAlameda County$172,808highest of 12
Amador CountyAmador County$112,499only employer with an average
Butte CountyChico$113,913highest of 4
Colusa CountyColusa County$95,397only employer with an average
Contra Costa CountySan Ramon Valley Fire Protection$211,550highest of 10
El Dorado CountySouth Lake Tahoe$126,014highest of 2
Fresno CountyClovis$108,476highest of 5
Glenn CountyGlenn County$85,202only employer with an average
Humboldt CountyEureka$86,546highest of 3
Imperial CountyImperial County$74,807highest of 3
Kern CountyDelano$102,304highest of 7
Kings CountyHanford$91,040highest of 3
Lake CountyLake County$106,163only employer with an average
Los Angeles CountyRedondo Beach$184,545highest of 34
Madera CountyMadera County$94,247highest of 3
Marin CountyMarin County$164,459highest of 2
Mariposa CountyMariposa County$59,360only employer with an average
Mendocino CountyUkiah$114,433highest of 2
Merced CountyMerced County$90,708highest of 3
Modoc CountyModoc County$57,864only employer with an average
Monterey CountyMonterey County$150,076only employer with an average
Napa CountyNapa$164,240only employer with an average
Nevada CountyNevada County$126,235only employer with an average
Orange CountyOrange County Fire Authority$196,274highest of 18
Placer CountyPlacer County$132,708highest of 4
Plumas CountyPlumas County$67,365only employer with an average
Riverside CountyCorona$134,148highest of 9
Sacramento CountyFolsom$117,962highest of 7
San Bernardino CountyOntario$131,482highest of 11
San Diego CountySan Diego Unified Port District$181,551highest of 12
San Francisco CountySan Francisco$192,456only employer with an average
San Joaquin CountyStockton$145,980highest of 6
San Luis Obispo CountySan Luis Obispo$129,670highest of 5
San Mateo CountySan Mateo$186,934highest of 8
Santa Barbara CountySanta Maria$158,583highest of 4
Santa Clara CountyMountain View$217,978highest of 12
Shasta CountyShasta Area Safety Communications Agency$116,505only employer with an average
Siskiyou CountySiskiyou County$78,288only employer with an average
Solano CountyFairfield$144,486highest of 6
Sonoma CountySonoma County$157,412highest of 6
Stanislaus CountyTurlock$124,222highest of 3
Sutter CountySutter County$115,536only employer with an average
Tehama CountyCorning$90,620highest of 2
Trinity CountyTrinity County$71,262only employer with an average
Tulare CountyVisalia$106,380highest of 5
Tuolumne CountyTuolumne County$79,701only employer with an average
Ventura CountyVentura County$179,292highest of 6
Yolo CountyDavis$119,850highest of 2
Yuba CountyYuba County$101,089only employer with an average

Questions about the highest 911 dispatcher salaries in California

Which California employer pays 911 dispatchers the most?

Mountain View, where full-year dispatchers earned an average of $217,978 in 2025, overtime included. San Ramon Valley Fire Protection ($211,550) and Santa Clara ($205,667) follow.

Where do new 911 dispatchers earn the most in California?

The highest starting salary, the bottom of the official range for the entry-level dispatcher title, is at Colma: $116,750. Milpitas ($114,890) and Los Altos ($114,763) follow.

Where do 911 dispatchers work the most overtime in California?

Full-year dispatchers at Redondo Beach were paid an average of $88,429 in overtime in 2025, the most of any California employer with at least 5 of them. The California average is $23,178.

Which California county pays 911 dispatchers the most?

San Francisco County, where full-year dispatchers across all employers earned an average of $192,456, followed by San Mateo County ($173,692) and Santa Clara County ($171,634).

Sources for the California 911 dispatcher rankings

Pay figures cover people who worked roughly the full year: those whose regular pay reached at least 90% of the bottom of their official range. Total pay is gross wages before tax, including overtime, lump sums and other pay. Every figure covers at least 5 people. Starting salaries are the bottom of each employer's official range for its entry title, as reported. Rankings and medians are our own arithmetic on these figures.

State Controller's Office, Government Compensation in California, 2025: positions, official pay ranges and wages as reported by each city, county and special district.

How we read the data

Highest 911 dispatcher salaries in California, by employer, 2025