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.
National median · BLS
$50,340
▲ +2.99%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$54,740
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
202,810
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$36,030
25th
$42,750
Median (50th)
$50,340
75th
$62,450
90th — top pay
$78,140
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance
BLS projects employment of dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance to decline 0.7% from 2025 to 2035, while employment across all occupations grows 3.5%.
About 16,000 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
203,500 → 202,100
-1,500 jobs
Projected change
-0.7%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
16,000
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
1.1% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
About the job
What dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance do
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.
Also called
City DispatcherDispatcher (Dispatch)Taxi DispatcherTrain DispatcherAircraft DispatcherCharter CoordinatorMine DispatcherParatransit DispatcherSchool Bus DispatcherTruck Dispatcher
More job titles for this occupation (66)
Airplane Dispatch ClerkAuto Service Dispatcher (Automotive Service Dispatcher)Automobile Rental DispatcherBus and Trolley DispatcherBus DispatcherBus StarterCab StarterCab Station AttendantCar DispatcherCar DistributorCar StarterCar SupplierCar TracerCrew DispatcherDelivery DispatcherDinkey DispatcherDispatch ClerkDispatch CoordinatorDrop Board ManDrop Board WorkerEngine DispatcherFreight DispatcherGarbage Truck DispatcherGas DispatcherGas Load DispatcherIntermodal DispatcherLogistics DispatcherMaintenance DispatcherMaintenance SchedulerMaintenance Services DispatcherMine Car DispatcherMotor Vehicle DispatcherNight DispatcherOil DispatcherOil Well Services DispatcherPullman Car ClerkRadio DispatcherRadioactive Waste Disposal DispatcherRelay DispatcherRepair Service DispatcherRouting ClerkSecurity DispatcherSecurity Guards DispatcherService ClerkService DispatcherShip Pilot DispatcherSignal OperatorSignal TimerStreet Department DispatcherStreetcar DispatcherStreetcar StarterSystem DispatcherTaxicab CoordinatorTaxicab DispatcherTaxicab StarterTow Truck DispatcherTraffic DispatcherTrain StarterTransportation DispatcherTransportation Management CoordinatorTrouble DispatcherTruck Rental DispatcherTugboat DispatcherWater Service DispatcherWork DispatcherWork Order Sorting Clerk
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $50,340.
