Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance Salary: $56,746 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 211,000 dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance nationally earn a mean of $56,746. Projections imply about 0.5% annual growth; CA accounts for about 22,900 jobs in our geographic extract.
Key Statistics
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 percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $39,309 |
| 25th percentile | $44,141 |
| Median (50th) | $51,118 |
| 75th percentile | $63,427 |
| 90th percentile | $79,843 |
What education do you need?
For Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
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 Workforce in 2023
The Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$56,746 Average Wage
In 2023, Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance earned an average of $56,746.
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.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 22,900 employees, $56,820 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 7,060 employees, $54,380 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 2,570 employees, $54,284 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 2,100 employees, $54,878 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 1,940 employees, $55,337 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 1,720 employees, $66,724 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 1,370 employees, $57,952 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 1,090 employees, $60,069 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 870 employees, $56,736 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 740 employees, $65,777 avg wage
- Stockton-Lodi MSA: 650 employees, $56,951 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 workforce of Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance in 2023 was 211,000 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
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
The average yearly wage for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance was $56,746 in 2023.
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.