Material Recording, Scheduling, Dispatching, and Distributing Workers

How to become a Dispatcher

Official title: Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance

Also called: Aircraft Dispatcher, Charter Coordinator, City Dispatcher, Dispatcher (Dispatch), Mine Dispatcher, Paratransit Dispatcher, School Bus Dispatcher, Taxi Dispatcher, Train Dispatcher, Truck Dispatcher

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.

Main 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.

How to become one

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Dispatcher, Service (Alternate Title: Transportation Management Coordinator).
Licence: A licence is required in 5 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $50,340 a year The middle half earn $42,750 to $62,450.
About 203,500 people work in this job now, and about 202,100 are projected by 2035. (-0.7%)
People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Dispatcher?

Ways in include: Dispatcher, Service (Alternate Title: Transportation Management Coordinator).

How much does a Dispatcher earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $50,340 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $42,750 to $62,450.

Is a Dispatcher a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 203,500 people now and 202,100 later (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Dispatcher?

Usually not. Only 18% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Dispatcher, Service (Alternate Title: Transportation Management Coordinator).

Will AI change the work of a Dispatcher?

People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.