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Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance

Typical education: High school diplomaHigh pressure

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $50,340 Median per year · $24.20/hr Most earn $36,030–$78,140

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might 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.
  • Oversee all communications within specifically assigned territories.
  • Prepare daily work and run schedules.
  • Relay work orders, messages, or information to or from work crews, supervisors, or field inspectors, using telephones or two-way radios.
  • Order supplies or equipment and issue them to personnel.
  • Determine types or amounts of equipment, vehicles, materials, or personnel required, according to work orders or specifications.

Job outlook

United States
1% fewer jobs by 2035, little or no change · about 16,000 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Truck transportation16.9%
  • Plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors6.0%
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals5.3%
  • Freight transportation arrangement4.3%
  • Support activities for road transportation3.9%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

This is a job you can start with a high school diploma, but most people first spend about 1 to 2 years in related work, like answering phones or scheduling, to learn how to keep calm and track many tasks at once. Overall, expect roughly 1 to 2 years after high school before you're ready for a dispatcher role.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Build a base in math, reading, and computer skills, which you'll use every day to read schedules, log work, and send messages.

  2. Switchboard Operator

    3-6 months

    Answer calls, route messages, and learn to stay steady when many requests come in at once, which is the core skill dispatchers need.

  3. Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerk

    1-2 years

    Schedule jobs, track progress, and keep records of work and materials, which is very close to the planning side of dispatch.

  4. Dispatcher, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance

    Ongoing

    Assign crews, vehicles, or equipment by radio, phone, or computer, and report on work progress for jobs outside the office.

Where it can lead

  1. Power Distributor and Dispatcher

    2-4 years of experience first

    Move into a more specialized dispatch role, often for utilities, where you manage larger systems and have more responsibility for safety and timing.

  2. Dispatch Supervisor

    3-5 years of experience first

    Lead a team of dispatchers, handle schedules and staffing, and train new hires, which requires strong communication and a solid record of good work as a dispatcher.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take math and computer classesMath helps with scheduling and reports, and computer skills are used in nearly every dispatch job.
  • Join a debate or public speaking clubSpeaking clearly and thinking quickly under pressure are key skills for radio and phone communication.
  • Get a starter job in customer serviceWorking at a store or restaurant teaches you to handle many requests at once while staying polite and organized.
  • Volunteer with a community or emergency groupHelping with organized events shows you how teams coordinate tasks, people, and equipment.
  • Practice typing and spreadsheetsFaster, accurate typing and basic spreadsheet skills help you log information quickly and correctly.

In college

  • Take courses in logistics, operations, or businessThese classes teach how to plan schedules, move resources, and track work, which matches what dispatchers do.
  • Seek a campus job with phones or schedulingRoles like front-desk, dispatch, or event scheduling at your school give you real practice with calls and coordination.
  • Look for a summer internship or part-time job in transportation, utilities, or deliverySeeing how crews and vehicles are assigned in real operations helps you understand the work and build relevant experience.
  • Build strong computer and data skillsLearning spreadsheets and basic database tools helps you handle the reports and records that dispatchers must keep.
  • Join a student organization that runs events or teamsLeading or coordinating group activities builds the planning and communication skills used in dispatch work.

Tips for getting started

  • Look for entry jobs that involve phones, scheduling, or customer contact, since these build the same habits dispatchers use every day.
  • Practice clear, calm communication, such as giving short spoken updates or leading group projects, because dispatch work depends on clear radio and phone talk.
  • Get comfortable with basic computer software and spreadsheets, since most dispatch jobs use computer systems to track assignments and reports.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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