Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance Salary: $48,880 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 211,000 dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance work nationally, and $48,880 is the BLS national median annual wage. Projections imply about 0.5% annual growth; much hiring sits in transportation and warehousing.
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance: what the data shows
Common questions about dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance?
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 43-5032.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 211,000 workers.
What does a dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Getting Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Working with Computers, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance make?
BLS national median annual wage: $48,880 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $56,746 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $39,309 |
| 25th percentile | $44,141 |
| Median (50th) | $51,118 |
| 75th percentile | $63,427 |
| 90th percentile | $79,843 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Speaking, Active Listening, Monitoring, Coordination, Time Management, Reading Comprehension, and knowledge areas including Customer and Personal Service, Public Safety and Security, Administration and Management, Administrative. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 0.5% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 2.4%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 4.9%.
Current U.S. headcount: 211,000.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulances work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 211,000 | 18.9% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 195,070 | 17.5% |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 90,490 | 8.1% |
| Truck Transportation | 82,600 | 7.4% |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 21,610 | 1.9% |
| Construction | 20,330 | 1.8% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists | 2,780 | $52,380 |
| Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers | 81,510 | $59,300 |
| Fire Inspectors and Investigators | 14,050 | $78,060 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | 93,680 | $92,430 |
| Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians | 12,080 | $34,330 |
| Personal Care Aides | — | — |
| Emergency Medical Technicians | 177,980 | $41,340 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance workforce.
Employment Over Time
211,000 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance grew from 90,100 in 2009 to 97,200 in 2025 (7.9%).
Historical employment for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$48,880 Median pay (BLS national)
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance earn $48,880 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance.
Salary distribution for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance.
Employment Growth Projections
0.5% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
99,531 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 2.4%
101,918 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 4.9%
This occupation is projected to grow at 0.5% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance.
Wage Trends by Industry
0.6% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 24,580 employees, $55,550 avg wage
- TX: 24,180 employees, $49,440 avg wage
- FL: 12,320 employees, $46,520 avg wage
- NY: 11,510 employees, $59,690 avg wage
- PA: 7,450 employees, $51,580 avg wage
- GA: 6,830 employees, $51,170 avg wage
- NJ: 6,180 employees, $57,310 avg wage
- OH: 6,010 employees, $52,150 avg wage
- MI: 5,570 employees, $51,900 avg wage
- NC: 5,430 employees, $49,700 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 12,070 employees, $61,290 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 10,800 employees, $63,430 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 9,160 employees, $53,350 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 6,990 employees, $50,690 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 5,810 employees, $51,180 avg wage
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 3,950 employees, $50,370 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 3,950 employees, $53,190 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 3,490 employees, $47,290 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 3,230 employees, $52,870 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 3,220 employees, $64,410 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance.
Diversity
Demographic information on Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance is about 211,000 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance workers.
Education level distribution for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance.
Skills
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance need many skills, but most especially Speaking, Active Listening, Monitoring, Coordination, Time Management.
Required skills for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance include Customer and Personal Service, Public Safety and Security, Administration and Management, Administrative, English Language.
Knowledge areas required for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance include Speech Clarity, Speech Recognition, Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression, Near Vision.
Required abilities for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance.
Daily Activities
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Working with Computers, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates.
Most important work activities for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance.
About
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance earn $48,880 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
43-5032 - Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance reports an average salary of $56,746.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 211,000 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 0.5%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.