Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance
Also called: Aircraft Dispatcher, Airplane Dispatch Clerk, Auto Service Dispatcher (Automotive Service Dispatcher), Automobile Rental Dispatcher, Bus and Trolley Dispatcher, Bus Dispatcher, Bus Starter, Cab Starter
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.
What dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance do
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.
- Determine types or amounts of equipment, vehicles, materials, or personnel required, according to work orders or specifications.
- Advise personnel about traffic problems, such as construction areas, accidents, congestion, weather conditions, or other hazards.
- Oversee all communications within specifically assigned territories.
- Order supplies or equipment and issue them to personnel.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance salary
The median annual wage for dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance is $50,340 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $36,030 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $78,140. The mean annual wage is $54,740.
The mean hourly wage of $26.00 is 3.6× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $50,340 → in 3 years $54,300 → in 5 years $57,100 → in 10 years $64,800 (10-year range $55,700–$75,200). The model assumes pay growth of +2.5% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance United States | 鉄道運転計画・運行管理 Japan | タクシー配車オペレーター Japan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $50,340 | ¥5.80M ≈ $36,865 | ¥5.80M ≈ $36,865 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $64,800 | ¥8.10M | ¥8.03M |
| Outlook score | 33 | 64 | 64 |
| AI replacement risk | 57% Moderate | 73% High | 76% High |
| Workers | 203K | — | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★☆☆☆ Fairly easy (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.