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.

What you'd actually do

• 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.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

The feel of the work

You're around people constantly; time pressure is a real part of the job; it rewards working independently; precision matters — small details carry weight. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 2.7% of dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are organized and detail-focused and hands-on.

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Quick questions

How much does a dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance make?

The median pay is $24.20 per hour — roughly $50,500 a year, with the real range running from about $17.32/hr (10th percentile) to $37.57/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance?

The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

What does a dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance actually do all day?

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.