Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance
Also called: City Dispatcher, Dispatcher (Dispatch), Taxi Dispatcher, Train DispatcherSchedule 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.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 11 of its 12 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 0.7% by 2035. In the most exposed occupations, the squeeze shows up first among early-career workers. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 3.2% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 9.0 hires for every 10 job openings in transportation, warehousing, and utilities, which employs about 43% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.9.0 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $48,790 | $39,140 to $58,530 | 1,780 |
| Alaska | $56,730 | $49,340 to $73,880 | 570 |
| Arizona | $47,880 | $42,340 to $58,000 | 5,690 |
| Arkansas | $47,130 | $37,240 to $59,010 | 1,780 |
| California | $52,350 | $46,120 to $63,160 | 23,970 |
| Colorado | $54,070 | $47,910 to $64,040 | 3,470 |
| Connecticut | $47,960 | $44,180 to $62,030 | 2,220 |
| Delaware | $57,170 | $47,840 to $62,990 | 670 |
| District of Columbia | $72,260 | $47,980 to $87,090 | 300 |
| Florida | $45,880 | $38,700 to $58,790 | 12,550 |
| Georgia | $49,180 | $39,830 to $61,140 | 6,190 |
| Guam | $39,630 | $30,920 to $54,950 | 130 |
| Hawaii | $52,570 | $44,980 to $66,560 | 950 |
| Idaho | $49,660 | $38,590 to $65,380 | 1,430 |
| Illinois | $57,240 | $46,750 to $71,410 | not published |
| Indiana | $50,060 | $42,530 to $62,510 | 4,090 |
| Iowa | $47,000 | $43,200 to $60,340 | 1,460 |
| Kansas | $47,170 | $38,580 to $60,620 | 1,670 |
| Kentucky | $49,990 | $41,770 to $61,890 | 2,440 |
| Louisiana | $47,050 | $38,160 to $59,970 | 2,980 |
| Maine | $55,150 | $46,620 to $67,600 | 670 |
| Maryland | $51,350 | $43,980 to $64,360 | 3,310 |
| Massachusetts | $55,690 | $47,570 to $67,100 | 3,510 |
| Michigan | $49,490 | $42,390 to $62,040 | 5,390 |
| Minnesota | $59,220 | $46,960 to $72,210 | 2,760 |
| Mississippi | $45,660 | $36,150 to $59,400 | 2,000 |
| Missouri | $51,410 | $42,780 to $64,990 | 4,340 |
| Montana | $47,140 | $44,030 to $60,910 | 810 |
| Nebraska | $53,880 | $45,850 to $63,740 | 1,500 |
| Nevada | $47,920 | $40,630 to $58,630 | 2,840 |
| New Hampshire | $52,770 | $47,110 to $62,010 | 710 |
| New Jersey | $54,590 | $46,400 to $64,450 | 6,420 |
| New Mexico | $43,960 | $37,440 to $53,550 | 1,350 |
| New York | $55,810 | $44,410 to $74,840 | 11,160 |
| North Carolina | $48,230 | $41,390 to $59,110 | 5,740 |
| North Dakota | $57,580 | $46,800 to $68,640 | 600 |
| Ohio | $50,320 | $43,640 to $62,810 | 5,720 |
| Oklahoma | $44,950 | $36,940 to $56,620 | 2,180 |
| Oregon | $54,980 | $46,980 to $65,510 | 3,290 |
| Pennsylvania | $49,960 | $42,840 to $61,260 | 6,670 |
| Puerto Rico | $24,750 | $22,710 to $28,730 | 740 |
| Rhode Island | $49,320 | $46,170 to $60,380 | 530 |
| South Carolina | $47,550 | $39,110 to $61,120 | 2,440 |
| South Dakota | $43,920 | $31,200 to $49,490 | 860 |
| Tennessee | $49,660 | $41,350 to $59,040 | 4,190 |
| Texas | $47,320 | $37,630 to $59,980 | 23,920 |
| Utah | $51,010 | $42,740 to $61,780 | 2,040 |
| Vermont | $56,360 | $46,200 to $61,940 | 260 |
| Virgin Islands | $33,870 | $33,680 to $40,650 | 30 |
| Virginia | $50,710 | $43,830 to $62,100 | 5,830 |
| Washington | $59,330 | $49,920 to $72,240 | 4,920 |
| West Virginia | $46,620 | $35,780 to $59,080 | 880 |
| Wisconsin | $52,350 | $44,650 to $62,390 | 3,240 |
| Wyoming | $48,690 | $41,060 to $58,850 | 240 |
Nationally: $50,340. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 11 of its 12 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI alone | Schedule or dispatch workers, work crews, equipment, or service vehicles to appropriate locations, according to customer requests, specifications, or needs, using radios or telephones. | Not published |
| AI + software | Prepare daily work and run schedules. | Not published |
| AI + software | Record and maintain files or records of customer requests, work or services performed, charges, expenses, inventory, or other dispatch information. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Relay work orders, messages, or information to or from work crews, supervisors, or field inspectors, using telephones or two-way radios. | Not published |
| AI alone | Confer with customers or supervising personnel to address questions, problems, or requests for service or equipment. | 0.01% |
| AI + software | Monitor personnel or equipment locations and utilization to coordinate service and schedules. | Not published |
See all 12 tasks
| AI + software | Advise personnel about traffic problems, such as construction areas, accidents, congestion, weather conditions, or other hazards. | Not published |
| AI + software | Arrange for necessary repairs to restore service and schedules. | Not published |
| AI alone | Receive or prepare work orders. | Not published |
| AI + software | Determine types or amounts of equipment, vehicles, materials, or personnel required, according to work orders or specifications. | Not published |
| AI alone | Oversee all communications within specifically assigned territories. | Not published |
| Not much | Order supplies or equipment and issue them to personnel. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 2 of the 12 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 12 tasks fall under 12 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #3 Respond to customer problems or inquiries
- #36 Purchase goods or services
- #38 Select materials or equipment for operations or projects
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Respond to customer problems or inquiries | |||
| Purchase goods or services | |||
| Select materials or equipment for operations or projects | |||
| Prepare documentation for contracts, applications, or permits | |||
| Operate communications equipment or systems | |||
| Schedule operational activities | |||
| Monitor operations to ensure adequate performance |
Show all 12 activities
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures | |||
| Assign work to others | |||
| Distribute materials, supplies, or resources |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Advice or a recommendation34%
- An explanation or answer33%
- An email or message6%
- Data or a spreadsheet6%
- A document or report5%
How they worked with Claude
37% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 45,782 moves out
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
- 2 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 6%
- 3 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 4%
- 4 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 3%
- 5 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 41,353 moves in
- 1 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 10%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 3 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 3%
- 4 Cashiers High -6.5% 3%
- 5 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 5% less than high school
- 47% high school
- 7% postsecondary certificate
- 26% some college
- 8% associate's
- 7% bachelor's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 24 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 6% less than high school
- 35% high school
- 30% some college
- 11% associate's
- 15% bachelor's
- 2% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 1,863 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
1 program: Traffic, Customs, and Transportation Clerk/Technician.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
5.6% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 1.2% | 19.1% |
| a certification | not published | |
| an educational certificate | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 1 registered apprenticeship in this occupation (DISPATCHER, SERVICE (Alternate Title: Transportation Management Coordinator)). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS · Brynjolfsson, Chandar and Chen, Stanford (Aug 2026)
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/43-5032.00