Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance: Career Profile
Schedule and dispatch workers, work crews, equipment, or service vehicles for conveyance of materials, freight, or passengers, or for normal installation, service, or emergency repairs rendered outside the place of business. Duties may include using radio, telephone, or computer to transmit assignments and compiling statistics and reports on work progress.
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What Do Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance Perform?
Typical responsibilities of dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance span:
- Schedule or dispatch workers, work crews, equipment, or service vehicles to appropriate locations, according to customer requests, specifications, or needs, using radios or telephones.
- Prepare daily work and run schedules.
- Confer with customers or supervising personnel to address questions, problems, or requests for service or equipment.
- Relay work orders, messages, or information to or from work crews, supervisors, or field inspectors, using telephones or two-way radios.
- Receive or prepare work orders.
- Record and maintain files or records of customer requests, work or services performed, charges, expenses, inventory, or other dispatch information.
- Arrange for necessary repairs to restore service and schedules.
- Monitor personnel or equipment locations and utilization to coordinate service and schedules.
Skills and Knowledge
Successful dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The competencies most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Types of Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance Jobs
Common job titles for this role include:
- Aircraft Dispatcher
- Airplane Dispatch Clerk
- Auto Service Dispatcher (Automotive Service Dispatcher)
- Automobile Rental Dispatcher
- Bus Dispatcher
- Bus Starter
- Bus and Trolley Dispatcher
- Cab Starter
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 762,663 dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +2.0% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $62,885 |
| Hourly median | $30.23 |
| 10th percentile | $34,762 |
| 25th percentile | $48,824 |
| 75th percentile | $76,946 |
| 90th percentile | $91,007 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $72,950 |
| Illinois | $62,280 |
| Washington | $57,950 |
| North Dakota | $57,940 |
| Alaska | $57,830 |
| Minnesota | $56,940 |
| Massachusetts | $54,790 |
| Vermont | $54,550 |
| New Jersey | $52,690 |
| Colorado | $52,600 |
| New Hampshire | $52,100 |
| New York | $51,940 |
| Connecticut | $51,940 |
| Iowa | $50,970 |
| Maine | $50,920 |
| Maryland | $50,550 |
| California | $50,040 |
| Missouri | $50,030 |
| Wisconsin | $49,770 |
| Utah | $49,660 |
| Oregon | $49,190 |
| Hawaii | $49,180 |
| Nebraska | $49,150 |
| Ohio | $49,050 |
| Kentucky | $48,530 |
| Indiana | $48,460 |
| Georgia | $48,310 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,210 |
| Delaware | $48,090 |
| Tennessee | $48,070 |
| Michigan | $47,980 |
| Arkansas | $47,660 |
| North Carolina | $47,180 |
| Rhode Island | $47,130 |
| West Virginia | $47,090 |
| Virginia | $46,890 |
| Arizona | $46,710 |
| Montana | $46,420 |
| Mississippi | $46,240 |
| Alabama | $46,130 |
| Texas | $45,880 |
| Kansas | $45,800 |
| Nevada | $45,480 |
| Louisiana | $45,460 |
| Wyoming | $45,130 |
| South Carolina | $44,710 |
| Oklahoma | $44,490 |
| South Dakota | $44,120 |
| Idaho | $43,110 |
| Florida | $42,320 |
| New Mexico | $42,020 |
| Virgin Islands | $39,450 |
| Puerto Rico | $23,180 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Compensation for dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance differ across the country. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| New England | $52,660 | 3.6% | 0.73 |
| Plains States | $51,237 | 6.5% | 0.89 |
| Middle Atlantic | $51,160 | 14.9% | 0.93 |
| Far Western US | $50,787 | 19.2% | 1.09 |
| Rocky Mountains | $49,761 | 4.3% | 1.02 |
| Great Lakes | $48,729 | 9.8% | 0.90 |
| Southeast | $45,932 | 24.6% | 0.95 |
| Southwest | $45,759 | 16.8% | 1.25 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | IL | $64,250 | 10,800 |
| Minot, ND | ND | $63,540 | 40 |
| Janesville-Beloit, WI | WI | $61,410 | 100 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | WA | $60,270 | 70 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | WA | $59,860 | 50 |
| Fargo, ND-MN | ND | $59,320 | 180 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $59,180 | 740 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $59,030 | 3,220 |
Industry Breakdown
The bulk of dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing | 90,490 | $50,030 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 21,610 | $43,070 |
| Construction | 20,330 | $47,500 |
| Wholesale Trade | 12,150 | $52,800 |
| Retail Trade | 7,600 | $45,230 |
| Manufacturing | 7,200 | $57,820 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 6,360 | $44,150 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 5,950 | $42,490 |
Below are examples of industries where dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance work:
Tech Stack
- Time accounting software: Kronos Workforce Timekeeper (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance reflects the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Contact With Others
- Frequency of Decision Making
- Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities
Getting Started in This Career
Most dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (Supplemental)
- Postmasters and Mail Superintendents (Supplemental)
- First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers (Supplemental)
- Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service (Primary-Long)
- Public Safety Telecommunicators (Primary-Short)
- Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks (Primary-Short)
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks (Supplemental)
- First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers (Primary-Long)
Degree Programs
Students preparing for dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance often complete programs in:
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 43-5032.00 (Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance).
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