Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance Career, Salary and Skills
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $50,340 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 202,810. Wage data is published for 433 locations.
Occupation description
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.
O*NET code
43-5032.00
Job zone
2
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Experience
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$50,340
Hourly median
$24.20
Employment
202,810
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.00 | 3.88 |
| Speaking | 4.00 | 3.88 |
| Coordination | 3.88 | 3.62 |
| Monitoring | 3.88 | 3.25 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.75 | 3.25 |
| Time Management | 3.75 | 3.12 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.12 | 3.75 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Writing | 3.12 | 2.88 |
| Service Orientation | 3.12 | 2.88 |
Typical tasks
- 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.
Technology
- 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
- Email software
- ESRI ArcIMS
- Geomechanical design analysis GDA software
- Global positioning system GPS software
- Kronos Workforce Timekeeper
- Locomotive distribution software
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance Salary in CAMedian $52,350 · Employment 23,970
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance Salary in TXMedian $47,320 · Employment 23,920
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance Salary in FLMedian $45,880 · Employment 12,550
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance Salary in New York, NYMedian $58,180 · Employment 11,590
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance Salary in NYMedian $55,810 · Employment 11,160
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $52,170 · Employment 7,700
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance Salary in Dallas, TXMedian $48,030 · Employment 7,170
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance Salary in PAMedian $49,960 · Employment 6,670
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance Salary in NJMedian $54,590 · Employment 6,420
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance Salary in GAMedian $49,180 · Employment 6,190
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance Salary in VAMedian $50,710 · Employment 5,830
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance Salary in NCMedian $48,230 · Employment 5,740
Related careers
- Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and HostlersNational median $60,600
- Shuttle Drivers and ChauffeursNational median $37,290
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, HandNational median $40,240
- Locomotive EngineersNational median $81,410
- Postmasters and Mail SuperintendentsNational median $96,660
- Light Truck DriversNational median $44,860
- Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck DriversNational median $58,640
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory ClerksNational median $45,260
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.