Communications Officer pay range
State of Washington · class code 451E
- Class code
- 451E
- Salary range
- 43SP
- Pay unit
- Year
- State
- Washington
- The State of Washington published pay range for Communications Officer is $53,796 to $71,988 per year.
- Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM) keys this classification as class code 451E.
- This is the range the plan authorises, not the salary of any individual employee.
Step progression
Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM) assigns this class to salary range 43SP in the SP Range Salary Schedule. The range pays 13 steps; a step is normally earned on a periodic increment date, not negotiated.
| Basis | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual | $53,796 | $55,056 | $56,424 | $57,756 | $59,160 | $60,588 | $62,100 | $63,672 | $65,220 | $66,900 | $68,520 | $70,272 | $71,988 |
| Monthly | $4,483 | $4,588 | $4,702 | $4,813 | $4,930 | $5,049 | $5,175 | $5,306 | $5,435 | $5,575 | $5,710 | $5,856 | $5,999 |
| Hourly | $25.76 | $26.37 | $27.02 | $27.66 | $28.33 | $29.02 | $29.74 | $30.49 | $31.24 | $32.04 | $32.82 | $33.66 | $34.48 |
Steps as published. The monthly and hourly rows are the state's own, not conversions of the annual row.
Class specification
The OFM classified job specification for this class is published by Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM). The passages below are quoted from it as published, not paraphrased, and cut to their opening sentences; the full specification is the authority on duties and qualifications.
What the state says the job is
In a Communications Center, receives training in law enforcement and emergency communications operations and procedures, Transmits, receives, and relays information concerning public safety and law enforcement activities to, from, and between State Patrol mobile units and stations, other State, county, and Federal law enforcement agencies and the public by means of radio, multi‑line telephone systems, computer terminals, private line intercom systems, and other telecommunications devices.
Examples of the work
Provides dispatch services to and from stations in the State Patrol communications network and mobile units of the State Patrol, Game Department, Fisheries Department, Utilities and Transportation Commission, Department of Corrections, Liquor Control Board, Lottery Commission, State Parks, U,S, Fish/Wildlife, U.S. Marshal's Office, and other State and local governmental agencies; Receives communications from the public by telephone and in person; records, evaluates, and disseminates reports of accidents, DWI's, traffic hazards, erratically driven vehicles, disabled vehicles, in‑progress crimes, complaints, stolen vehicles, wanted persons, attempts to locate, and initiates appropriate action; ...
Minimum qualifications
Graduation from high school or GED equivalent. Note: Minimum typing skill level is 35 words per minute.
Quoted from the OFM classified job specification, read 2026-10-21.
Where this comes from
Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM) publishes this figure in Classified Job Listing joined to the OFM salary schedules effective July 1, 2026. Every number on this page is read from that document; nothing is estimated, modelled or averaged.
The dollar figures come from the salary schedule the listing assigns this range to.
Nearby classes in Washington
Communications Officer in other states
| State | Minimum | Maximum | Per year at full time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | $28.24 | $64.93 | $58,739 to $135,054 |
Each state publishes its own range for a classification with this exact title. Duties, grade structures and bargaining units differ between states, so read each class page before comparing.