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Role hub · Public Safety Telecommunicators

Dispatcher: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.

The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.

Maid DizdarevicCareer coach · 8x LinkedIn Top Voice
Updated Oct 24, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · O*NET 31.0
Pay ladder · select a percentile
Median percentile pay

Half of dispatchers earn more than this and half earn less.

Annual
$53,040
Hourly
$25.50
Source
BLS May 2025
Quick answer

Dispatchers operate telephone, radio, or other communication systems to receive and communicate requests for emergency assistance at 9-1-1 public safety answering points and emergency operations centers. The median pay is $53,040 a year ($25.50 an hour) (BLS, May 2025). The most commonly reported education requirement is a high school diploma or equivalent (63% of workers surveyed by O*NET).

Median pay
$53,040
BLS May 2025
Employed in the U.S.
102,500
BLS May 2025
Preparation
Job Zone 2 of 5
some preparation
Most common education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
63% of workers

Data Government data groups this job as Public Safety Telecommunicators (O*NET-SOC 43-5031.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

Explore the role

Every page for Dispatchers

SalaryDispatcher salary

Pay by percentile, state and metro, with a negotiation script.

Open →How to becomeDispatcher how to become

Education, training and the skills to build first.

Open →Interview questionsDispatcher interview questions

Questions with what they test, plus practice mode.

Open →Free toolCheck your resume

Parsed text, evidence per bullet, fixes first.

Open →
The work

What dispatchers do day to day

Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).

  1. Provide emergency medical instructions to callers.
  2. Question callers to determine their locations and the nature of their problems to determine type of response needed.
  3. Determine response requirements and relative priorities of situations, and dispatch units in accordance with established procedures.
  4. Relay information and messages to and from emergency sites, to law enforcement agencies, and to all other individuals or groups requiring notification.
  5. Record details of calls, dispatches, and messages.
  6. Monitor various radio frequencies, such as those used by public works departments, school security, and civil defense, to stay apprised of developing situations.
  7. Read and effectively interpret small-scale maps and information from a computer screen to determine locations and provide directions.
  8. Maintain access to, and security of, highly sensitive materials.
Skills that matter

Ranked by importance to the job

Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.

Active ListeningcoreSpeakingcoreSocial PerceptivenesscoreCoordinationService OrientationCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionJudgment and Decision MakingComplex Problem Solving

Knowledge areas: Public Safety and Security, Law and Government, English Language, Telecommunications, Customer and Personal Service, Geography.

Tools and technology

Software dispatchers use

Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.

  • Computer aided dispatch softwareHelpdesk or call center software
  • Geographic information system GIS systemsGeographic information system
  • Intrado SchoolMessengerMobile messaging service software
  • Spillman Technologies Spillman Computer-Aided DispatchHelpdesk or call center software
  • Microsoft ExcelSpreadsheet softwareIn demand
  • Microsoft Office softwareOffice suite softwareIn demand
  • Microsoft AccessData base user interface and query softwareHot technology
  • Microsoft OutlookElectronic mail softwareHot technology
  • Microsoft PowerPointPresentation softwareHot technology
  • Microsoft SharePointDocument management softwareHot technology
  • Microsoft WordWord processing softwareHot technology
  • SAP softwareEnterprise resource planning ERP softwareHot technology

Also called: 911 Dispatcher, Communications Officer, Communications Operator, Communications Specialist, Emergency Communications Dispatcher, Emergency Communications Operator (ECO).

Method

How this page is built

Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the correlation between the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level, subtract the average across all occupations, and correlate the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 or below means unrelated. Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.

What this page can't tell you
  • How a specific employer defines the job.
  • Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
  • Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
Sources
  1. O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).