SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 43-5032.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $36,030 | $3,002 | $693 | $17.32 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $42,750 | $3,562 | $822 | $20.56 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $50,340 | $4,195 | $968 | $24.20 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $62,450 | $5,204 | $1,201 | $30.02 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $78,140 | $6,512 | $1,503 | $37.57 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance is $50,340, which is about the same. Among the 54 occupations of the field Office and Administrative Support, it ranks number 20 by median pay. With 202,810 jobs, it makes up about 13 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance pay by state
The highest median pay was in District of Columbia ($72,260), Washington ($59,330) and Minnesota ($59,220). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($24,750), Virgin Islands ($33,870) and Guam ($39,630). The most jobs were in California (23,970), Texas (23,920) and Florida (12,550). The occupation is most concentrated in Guam, where its share of all jobs is 1.5 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 300 | $72,260 | $70,320 | $34.74 |
| Washington | 4,920 | $59,330 | $63,190 | $28.53 |
| Minnesota | 2,760 | $59,220 | $59,990 | $28.47 |
| North Dakota | 600 | $57,580 | $59,450 | $27.68 |
| Illinois | not published | $57,240 | $59,400 | $27.52 |
| Delaware | 670 | $57,170 | $55,810 | $27.49 |
| Alaska | 570 | $56,730 | $64,690 | $27.28 |
| Vermont | 260 | $56,360 | $56,750 | $27.10 |
| New York | 11,160 | $55,810 | $61,990 | $26.83 |
| Massachusetts | 3,510 | $55,690 | $60,350 | $26.77 |
| Maine | 670 | $55,150 | $57,750 | $26.51 |
| Oregon | 3,290 | $54,980 | $57,970 | $26.43 |
| New Jersey | 6,420 | $54,590 | $58,030 | $26.25 |
| Colorado | 3,470 | $54,070 | $58,140 | $26.00 |
| Nebraska | 1,500 | $53,880 | $58,570 | $25.91 |
| New Hampshire | 710 | $52,770 | $55,810 | $25.37 |
| Hawaii | 950 | $52,570 | $60,880 | $25.27 |
| California | 23,970 | $52,350 | $57,950 | $25.17 |
| Wisconsin | 3,240 | $52,350 | $54,690 | $25.17 |
| Missouri | 4,340 | $51,410 | $59,420 | $24.71 |
| Maryland | 3,310 | $51,350 | $56,110 | $24.69 |
| Utah | 2,040 | $51,010 | $53,460 | $24.52 |
| Virginia | 5,830 | $50,710 | $54,230 | $24.38 |
| Ohio | 5,720 | $50,320 | $53,890 | $24.19 |
| Indiana | 4,090 | $50,060 | $54,170 | $24.07 |
| Kentucky | 2,440 | $49,990 | $54,600 | $24.03 |
| Pennsylvania | 6,670 | $49,960 | $53,490 | $24.02 |
| Idaho | 1,430 | $49,660 | $52,930 | $23.87 |
| Tennessee | 4,190 | $49,660 | $51,130 | $23.87 |
| Michigan | 5,390 | $49,490 | $54,140 | $23.79 |
| Rhode Island | 530 | $49,320 | $56,460 | $23.71 |
| Georgia | 6,190 | $49,180 | $52,030 | $23.65 |
| Alabama | 1,780 | $48,790 | $50,890 | $23.46 |
| Wyoming | 240 | $48,690 | $53,220 | $23.41 |
| North Carolina | 5,740 | $48,230 | $51,240 | $23.19 |
| Connecticut | 2,220 | $47,960 | $55,470 | $23.06 |
| Nevada | 2,840 | $47,920 | $51,760 | $23.04 |
| Arizona | 5,690 | $47,880 | $51,250 | $23.02 |
| South Carolina | 2,440 | $47,550 | $50,740 | $22.86 |
| Texas | 23,920 | $47,320 | $50,770 | $22.75 |
| Kansas | 1,670 | $47,170 | $51,400 | $22.68 |
| Montana | 810 | $47,140 | $52,020 | $22.66 |
| Arkansas | 1,780 | $47,130 | $48,420 | $22.66 |
| Louisiana | 2,980 | $47,050 | $50,030 | $22.62 |
| Iowa | 1,460 | $47,000 | $51,790 | $22.60 |
| West Virginia | 880 | $46,620 | $48,850 | $22.41 |
| Florida | 12,550 | $45,880 | $49,620 | $22.06 |
| Mississippi | 2,000 | $45,660 | $48,500 | $21.95 |
| Oklahoma | 2,180 | $44,950 | $48,360 | $21.61 |
| New Mexico | 1,350 | $43,960 | $47,930 | $21.13 |
| South Dakota | 860 | $43,920 | $43,860 | $21.12 |
| Guam | 130 | $39,630 | $44,800 | $19.05 |
| Virgin Islands | 30 | $33,870 | $39,370 | $16.28 |
| Puerto Rico | 740 | $24,750 | $26,560 | $11.90 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks$50,670 a year
- Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping$50,610 a year
- Procurement Clerks$50,580 a year
- Statistical Assistants$50,330 a year
- Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks$50,080 a year
- Loan Interviewers and Clerks$50,020 a year
Common questions
How much do Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance earn in the United States?
The median pay was $50,340 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $36,030 and the highest-paid 10% more than $78,140.
How many people work as Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance?
About 202,810 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.