43-5031.00

Public safety telecommunicators

105,200 workers$50,730/yr medianHigh school diploma or equivalent
7.6

High displacement risk

Composite of 5 dimensions (higher = more displacement pressure)

AI Exposure Analysis

GPT-scored exposure7/10

The core tasks of this role—receiving digital inputs (voice, text, video), processing information according to protocols, and dispatching resources—are highly susceptible to AI automation and augmentation. While the high-stakes nature and need for human empathy provide a temporary buffer, AI's ability to transcribe, translate, and prioritize emergency calls in real-time will significantly restructure the occupation and increase individual worker productivity.

Dimension Breakdown

Technical AI Exposurepressure
7.0

How many of this occupation's tasks can current or near-term AI systems perform? Based on GPT-scored analysis of 342 BLS occupations validated against 6 academic exposure indices.

Institutional Adoption Speedpressure
6.9

How quickly will firms in this sector actually deploy AI? Accounts for regulatory burden, digital maturity, competitive pressure, union density, and organizational complexity.

Worker Adaptabilityabsorption
3.6

How well can workers in this group transition to new roles? Composite of net liquid wealth (financial buffer), skill transferability, geographic job density, and age demographics.

Demand Elasticityabsorption
2.0

When AI makes this sector's output cheaper, does demand expand enough to offset job losses? High elasticity means the Jevons Paradox may preserve or even grow employment.

AI Complementarityabsorption
0.0

Is AI primarily enhancing workers in this occupation or replacing them? Based on CFO survey data where available, estimated from task composition and job dimensionality otherwise. Jobs with more distinct task clusters (high dimensionality) tend toward augmentation via the O-Ring "focus effect" — automating some tasks lets workers concentrate on remaining ones, multiplying output quality.

4 task dimensionsMid-range

CFO survey base: 0.0 (no dimensionality adjustment in mid-range)

Task Composition

How this occupation's work time is distributed across 8 task categories, based on O*NET work activity data.

Information Processing22%
Coordination & Mgmt18%
Interpersonal18%
Analysis & Decision13%
Communication11%
Technical / Specialized11%
Physical / Manual4%
Creative / Generative2%

Top Work Activities

Most important work activities from O*NET, ranked by importance score (1-5).

ActivityCategoryScore
Working with ComputersInformation Processing4.89
Communicating with People Outside the OrganizationCommunication4.78
Documenting/Recording InformationTechnical / Specialized4.77
Getting InformationInformation Processing4.63
Processing InformationInformation Processing4.49
Making Decisions and Solving ProblemsAnalysis & Decision4.41
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesCommunication4.39
Performing for or Working Directly with the PublicInterpersonal4.38
Updating and Using Relevant KnowledgeInformation Processing4.37
Assisting and Caring for OthersInterpersonal4.21

Methodology

This page combines Karpathy's GPT-scored technical exposure (per-occupation) with four additional dimensions inherited from the parent SOC major group: institutional adoption speed, worker adaptability, demand elasticity, and AI complementarity.

Task composition is derived from O*NET work activity data, mapped to 8 internal categories. The complementarity score is adjusted by job dimensionality (Gans & Goldfarb 2024): occupations with more distinct task clusters tend toward augmentation rather than replacement.

Net displacement risk is computed as a weighted composite: exposure (30%), adoption speed (20%), adaptability (15%), demand elasticity (15%), complementarity (20%). Pressure dimensions are normalized independently from absorption dimensions, so defensive factors can fully counterbalance exposure.