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Dispatcher: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 26, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$50,340median pay per year, or $24.20 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $36,030lowest 10% earn less
  2. $42,75025th percentile
  3. $50,340median
  4. $62,45075th percentile
  5. $78,140top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[4]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[5]

Dispatchers in this BLS category earned a median of $50,340 a year in May 2025[1]. The job usually asks for a high school diploma, and employment is projected to dip slightly through 2035[2][3].

Job growth, 2025–35
-0.7%[3]
Openings per year
16,000[6]
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent[2]

How much do dispatchers make?

The BLS category is Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance. It covers dispatchers for crews, vehicles and equipment[7]. In May 2025, the median wage was $50,340 a year, or $24.20 an hour[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less[1]. The average was $54,740 a year, or $26.32 an hour[8].

For all occupations in the US, the median annual wage was $50,980[5]. So dispatcher pay sits close to the national middle[1][5].

The range is wide. Here are the annual percentile wages[4]:

Percentile Annual wage Hourly wage
10th[4][9] $36,030 $17.32
25th[4][9] $42,750 $20.56
50th (median)[1] $50,340 $24.20
75th[4][9] $62,450 $30.02
90th[4][9] $78,140 $37.57

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $36,030, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $78,140[4]. A percentile is a boundary line, and BLS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary[10].

These figures cover wage and salary workers, part time and full time. They leave out the self-employed, bonuses that are not tied to production, and the cost of benefits[11]. About 202,810 people held these jobs in May 2025[12].

Pay by state and city

The District of Columbia had the highest median wage at $72,260, followed by Washington at $59,330 and Minnesota at $59,220[13]. DC had only about 300 jobs, so its figure covers a small group[13].

California had the most jobs at 23,970, just ahead of Texas at 23,920[14]. Florida, New York and Pennsylvania came next[14].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA had the highest median at $64,890[15]. Fargo, ND-MN followed at $61,260, then Barnstable Town, MA at $60,890[15]. The New York-Newark-Jersey City area had the most jobs at 11,590, with a median of $58,180[16]. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim had 7,700 jobs and a median of $52,170[16].

Show median pay in 50 states and DC
StateMedian per yearJobs
District of Columbia[13]$72,260300
Washington$59,3304,920
Minnesota$59,2202,760
North Dakota$57,580600
Illinois$57,240n/a
Delaware$57,170670
Alaska$56,730570
Vermont$56,360260
New York$55,81011,160
Massachusetts$55,6903,510
Maine$55,150670
Oregon$54,9803,290
New Jersey$54,5906,420
Colorado$54,0703,470
Nebraska$53,8801,500
New Hampshire$52,770710
Hawaii$52,570950
California$52,35023,970
Wisconsin$52,3503,240
Missouri$51,4104,340
Maryland$51,3503,310
Utah$51,0102,040
Virginia$50,7105,830
Ohio$50,3205,720
Indiana$50,0604,090
Kentucky$49,9902,440
Pennsylvania$49,9606,670
Idaho$49,6601,430
Tennessee$49,6604,190
Michigan$49,4905,390
Rhode Island$49,320530
Georgia$49,1806,190
Alabama$48,7901,780
Wyoming$48,690240
North Carolina$48,2305,740
Connecticut$47,9602,220
Nevada$47,9202,840
Arizona$47,8805,690
South Carolina$47,5502,440
Texas$47,32023,920
Kansas$47,1701,670
Montana$47,140810
Arkansas$47,1301,780
Louisiana$47,0502,980
Iowa$47,0001,460
West Virginia$46,620880
Florida$45,88012,550
Mississippi$45,6602,000
Oklahoma$44,9502,180
New Mexico$43,9601,350
South Dakota$43,920860

How to become a dispatcher

BLS lists this typical path[2]:

In an O*NET survey of 24 workers, 47% said a high school diploma or the equivalent is required[17]. Another 26% named some college courses, 8% an associate's degree, 7% a post-secondary certificate and 7% a bachelor's degree[17]. This is a small survey, so read it as a rough sketch only.

What dispatchers do

Dispatchers schedule and send out workers, crews, equipment or service vehicles, and they may use radio, telephone or computer to pass along assignments[7]. O*NET lists tasks such as these[18]:

Job titles reported by workers include school bus dispatcher, taxi dispatcher, paratransit dispatcher and aircraft dispatcher[19].

Job outlook

BLS projects employment of dispatchers in this category to fall 0.7% from 2025 to 2035, from about 203,500 to 202,100 jobs[3]. Employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% over the same years[20]. Only 1.1% of these workers were self-employed in 2025[21].

BLS names productivity change as a factor. Streamlined and automated dispatch systems handle simple transactions with less input from dispatchers[22].

Even so, about 16,000 openings are projected each year, on average[6]. Openings include jobs left by people who retire or switch occupations, not only new jobs[6]. Each year, 3.2% of workers leave the labor force and 4.8% move to a different occupation[23].

Is it a good fit?

The facts suggest this job suits someone who wants to start work with a high school diploma and no prior experience, then learn on the job[2]. Pay is near the national median, and the wide percentile range shows room for higher pay[1][5][4]. The tradeoff is that total jobs are projected to shrink slightly while openings continue from turnover[3][6]. Pay also varies by state, so check your own area in the state table[13].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[24].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a dispatcher make an hour?
The median was $24.20 an hour in May 2025, and the average was $26.32[1][8].
What education do you need to be a dispatcher?
BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent, with no related work experience[2].
Is dispatcher a growing job?
Employment is projected to decline 0.7% from 2025 to 2035[3], compared with 3.5% growth for all occupations[20]. About 16,000 openings are still projected each year[3][20][6].
What is the highest paying state for dispatchers?
The District of Columbia had the highest median at $72,260[13]. Among states, Washington was first at $59,330[13].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance in the US was $50,340 per year and $24.20 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance: education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance is projected to decline 0.7% from 2025 to 2035, from about 203,500 to 202,100 jobs (a change of -1,500). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance: 10th percentile $36,030, 25th percentile $42,750, 75th percentile $62,450, 90th percentile $78,140. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. BLS Employment Projections: about 16,000 openings for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  7. O*NET description of Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance. O*NET OnLine
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance was $54,740 per year and $26.32 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance: 10th percentile $17.32, 25th percentile $20.56, 75th percentile $30.02, 90th percentile $37.57. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 202,810 people were employed as Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. Median annual wage for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance jobs: California 23,970; Texas 23,920; Florida 12,550; New York 11,160; Pennsylvania 6,670. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance (areas with at least 100 jobs): Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA $64,890; Fargo, ND-MN $61,260; Barnstable Town, MA $60,890; San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $60,780; Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $59,560; Duluth, MN-WI $59,510; Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $59,340; Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $58,710. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance jobs: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 11,590 (median $58,180); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 7,700 (median $52,170); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 7,170 (median $48,030); Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 5,720 (median $48,550); Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 4,200 (median $48,280); Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 3,690 (median $48,930). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  17. O*NET 43-5032.00 survey of workers (24 respondents), education level they say is required: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) 47%, Some College Courses 26%, Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree 8%, Post-Secondary Certificate 7%, Bachelor's Degree 7%, Less than a High School Diploma 5% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  18. O*NET task list for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance. O*NET OnLine
  19. O*NET 43-5032.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Aircraft Dispatcher, Charter Coordinator, City Dispatcher, Dispatcher (Dispatch), Mine Dispatcher, Paratransit Dispatcher, School Bus Dispatcher, Taxi Dispatcher. O*NET OnLine
  20. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  21. BLS Employment Projections: 1.1% of Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  22. BLS Employment Projections, factor affecting employment of Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance: Productivity change - share decreases as streamlined and automated dispatch systems process relatively simple transactions with less input from dispatchers. BLS Employment Projections
  23. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance: 3.2% of workers leave the labor force each year and 4.8% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  24. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers.

This page includes information from the 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. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.