Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance
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.
Also called: Aircraft Dispatcher · Charter Coordinator · City Dispatcher · Dispatcher (Dispatch) · Mine Dispatcher · Paratransit Dispatcher
Median pay (national)
$48,880
$34,600–$76,130 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
211,000
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
-0.9%
~18,500 openings/yr
Typical entry
High school diploma or equivalent
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $76,130 versus $34,600 at the bottom 10% — 2.2x. The median of $48,880 leaves roughly 56% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change -0.9% from 2024 to 2034 — a projected decline, against +3% across all occupations. Even so, BLS projects about 18,500 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 53 states with released data, District of Columbia pays the most for this role (median $72,950, +49% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $23,180 — a 215% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Active Listening, Speaking, Monitoring as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Learning Strategies
- Mathematics
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Confer with customers or supervising personnel to address questions, problems, or requests for service or equipment.
- 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.
- Advise personnel about traffic problems, such as construction areas, accidents, congestion, weather conditions, or other hazards.
- Prepare daily work and run schedules.
- Schedule or dispatch workers, work crews, equipment, or service vehicles to appropriate locations, according to customer requests, specifications, or needs, using radios or telephones.
- Relay work orders, messages, or information to or from work crews, supervisors, or field inspectors, using telephones or two-way radios.
- Monitor personnel or equipment locations and utilization to coordinate service and schedules.
- Determine types or amounts of equipment, vehicles, materials, or personnel required, according to work orders or specifications.
Tools & technology
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Word
- Kronos Workforce Timekeeper
- Microsoft Windows
- SAP software
- Air-Trak Cloudberry
- Bornemann Associates Flight Plan
- Command Alkon COMMANDconcrete
- Computer aided dispatch software
- Computer aided dispatching auto routing software
- Database software
- Digital Gateway e-automate
- Dr. Dispatch
- ESRI ArcIMS
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service
- Public Safety and Security
- Administration and Management
- Administrative
- English Language
- Transportation
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Computers and Electronics