Occupations · Office and Administrative Support

Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance

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.

O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 43-5032.00

$48,880median annual wage, May 2024

211,000people employed, United States

▼ 0.9%projected change, 2024→2034

18,500openings a year, incl. replacements

What it pays

A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage

Pay over time

Median up 61% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.

BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.

Where the jobs are

Metro area	Median wage	Employed
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	$55,240	12,070
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI	$64,250	10,800
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$47,140	9,160
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	$46,940	6,990
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX	$47,250	5,810
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ	$47,300	3,950
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	$49,880	3,950
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	$42,490	3,490
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	$49,000	3,230
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$59,030	3,220
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$53,480	3,100
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA	$57,630	2,910

BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation

Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34

What people in this job actually do

Ordered by how important the work is rated.

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.
Oversee all communications within specifically assigned territories.
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.
Order supplies or equipment and issue them to personnel.

O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale

Skills that matter most

Importance, rated 1 to 5.

Speaking4.0

Active Listening4.0

Monitoring3.9

Reading Comprehension3.8

Critical Thinking3.1

Writing3.1

Active Learning3.0

Learning Strategies2.8

Mathematics2.1

Science1.1

O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale

Software and tools

A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.

Kronos Workforce Timekeeper●Microsoft Access●Microsoft Excel●Microsoft Office software●Microsoft Outlook●Microsoft PowerPoint●Microsoft Windows●Microsoft Word●SAP software●Air-Trak CloudberryBornemann Associates Flight PlanCommand Alkon COMMANDconcreteComputer aided dispatch softwareComputer aided dispatching auto routing softwareDatabase softwareDigital Gateway e-automateDr. DispatchESRI ArcIMSEmail softwareGeomechanical design analysis GDA softwareGlobal positioning system GPS softwareLocomotive distribution softwareMicrosoft DynamicsRail Traffic Track Warrant Control SystemResource management softwareRouting softwareSabre travel agent softwareScheduling software

O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag

What this work is actually like

Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.

2 / 5Some preparation — a school diploma and a few months of on-the-job training.

O*NET 30.3 Job Zones

Working conditions that stand out

Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People+1.6 above average

Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers+1.4 above average

Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets−1.3 below average

Importance of Repeating Same Tasks+1.2 above average

Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities+1.2 above average

Frequency of Decision Making+1.1 above average

Spend Time Sitting+1.1 above average

O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2021-08

How people actually get in

Share of workers by the education they hold.

High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)47%

Some College Courses26%

Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)8%

Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)7%

O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2021-08

What kind of person the work suits

Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.

Conventional5.4

Realistic5.3

Enterprising2.9

O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)

What you take with you

Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.

Coordination3.9

Time Management3.8

Judgment and Decision Making3.1

Service Orientation3.1

Social Perceptiveness3.1

Complex Problem Solving3.1

Systems Analysis2.9

Persuasion2.8

O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale

Knowledge the work draws on

Customer and Personal ServicePublic Safety and SecurityAdministration and ManagementAdministrativeEnglish LanguageTransportation

Abilities it leans on

Speech ClarityOral ComprehensionOral ExpressionSpeech RecognitionNear VisionDeductive Reasoning

O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale

How this job is advertised

The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.

Car TracerBus StarterCab StarterCar StarterCar SupplierSignal TimerRouting ClerkTrain StarterService ClerkGas DispatcherOil DispatcherBus DispatcherCar DispatcherDispatch Clerk

O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation

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What changed since 2015

Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.

Now listed 7

+Tangier Sky Scheduler View+Microsoft Access+Computer aided dispatch software+Microsoft Windows+Dr. Dispatch+Sabre travel agent software+Microsoft Dynamics

No longer listed 5

−Dr. Dispatch Transportation Software−Oracle software−Sky Scheduler software−Sabre software−Computer aided design CAD software

Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.

O*NET 30.3 related occupations

Also called

StarterOperatorCar TracerCar StarterBus StarterCab StarterSignal TimerCar SupplierRouting ClerkTrain StarterService ClerkDispatch Clerk

O*NET 30.3 alternative titles

The same work in Europe

ESCO occupation	ISCO	Match
distribution centre dispatcher	9333.2	broader
ship pilot dispatcher	4323.15	broader
taxi controller	4323.17	broader
aircraft dispatcher	4323.2	broader
bus route supervisor	4323.4	broader
freight transport dispatcher	4323.6	broader
train dispatcher	8312.4	broader
vessel operations coordinator	4323.19	broader

Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)

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