Dispatcher salary in 2026
The median dispatcher in the United States earns $50,340 a year, or $24.20 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 survey, published this year. The middle half of dispatchers earn between $42,750 and $62,450.
Where you work matters more than anything else: District of Columbia pays a median of $72,260, Washington $59,330, and the highest paying metro area, Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA, $64,890. There are 202,810 dispatchers in the country.
Liaison does the routine half of a dispatcher’s job for 11% of what one costs. See how.
Dispatcher salary by state
Median annual and hourly wage, the range the middle half earn, and how many dispatchers work in each state. Click a state for its cities.
| State | Median annual | Median hourly | Middle half earns | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $72,260 | $34.74 | $47,980 to $87,090 | 300 |
| Washington | $59,330 | $28.53 | $49,920 to $72,240 | 4,920 |
| Minnesota | $59,220 | $28.47 | $46,960 to $72,210 | 2,760 |
| North Dakota | $57,580 | $27.68 | $46,800 to $68,640 | 600 |
| Illinois | $57,240 | $27.52 | $46,750 to $71,410 | n/a |
| Delaware | $57,170 | $27.49 | $47,840 to $62,990 | 670 |
| Alaska | $56,730 | $27.28 | $49,340 to $73,880 | 570 |
| Vermont | $56,360 | $27.10 | $46,200 to $61,940 | 260 |
| New York | $55,810 | $26.83 | $44,410 to $74,840 | 11,160 |
| Massachusetts | $55,690 | $26.77 | $47,570 to $67,100 | 3,510 |
| Maine | $55,150 | $26.51 | $46,620 to $67,600 | 670 |
| Oregon | $54,980 | $26.43 | $46,980 to $65,510 | 3,290 |
| New Jersey | $54,590 | $26.25 | $46,400 to $64,450 | 6,420 |
| Colorado | $54,070 | $26.00 | $47,910 to $64,040 | 3,470 |
| Nebraska | $53,880 | $25.91 | $45,850 to $63,740 | 1,500 |
| New Hampshire | $52,770 | $25.37 | $47,110 to $62,010 | 710 |
| Hawaii | $52,570 | $25.27 | $44,980 to $66,560 | 950 |
| California | $52,350 | $25.17 | $46,120 to $63,160 | 23,970 |
| Wisconsin | $52,350 | $25.17 | $44,650 to $62,390 | 3,240 |
| Missouri | $51,410 | $24.71 | $42,780 to $64,990 | 4,340 |
| Maryland | $51,350 | $24.69 | $43,980 to $64,360 | 3,310 |
| Utah | $51,010 | $24.52 | $42,740 to $61,780 | 2,040 |
| Virginia | $50,710 | $24.38 | $43,830 to $62,100 | 5,830 |
| Ohio | $50,320 | $24.19 | $43,640 to $62,810 | 5,720 |
| Indiana | $50,060 | $24.07 | $42,530 to $62,510 | 4,090 |
| Kentucky | $49,990 | $24.03 | $41,770 to $61,890 | 2,440 |
| Pennsylvania | $49,960 | $24.02 | $42,840 to $61,260 | 6,670 |
| Idaho | $49,660 | $23.87 | $38,590 to $65,380 | 1,430 |
| Tennessee | $49,660 | $23.87 | $41,350 to $59,040 | 4,190 |
| Michigan | $49,490 | $23.79 | $42,390 to $62,040 | 5,390 |
| Rhode Island | $49,320 | $23.71 | $46,170 to $60,380 | 530 |
| Georgia | $49,180 | $23.65 | $39,830 to $61,140 | 6,190 |
| Alabama | $48,790 | $23.46 | $39,140 to $58,530 | 1,780 |
| Wyoming | $48,690 | $23.41 | $41,060 to $58,850 | 240 |
| North Carolina | $48,230 | $23.19 | $41,390 to $59,110 | 5,740 |
| Connecticut | $47,960 | $23.06 | $44,180 to $62,030 | 2,220 |
| Nevada | $47,920 | $23.04 | $40,630 to $58,630 | 2,840 |
| Arizona | $47,880 | $23.02 | $42,340 to $58,000 | 5,690 |
| South Carolina | $47,550 | $22.86 | $39,110 to $61,120 | 2,440 |
| Texas | $47,320 | $22.75 | $37,630 to $59,980 | 23,920 |
| Kansas | $47,170 | $22.68 | $38,580 to $60,620 | 1,670 |
| Montana | $47,140 | $22.66 | $44,030 to $60,910 | 810 |
| Arkansas | $47,130 | $22.66 | $37,240 to $59,010 | 1,780 |
| Louisiana | $47,050 | $22.62 | $38,160 to $59,970 | 2,980 |
| Iowa | $47,000 | $22.60 | $43,200 to $60,340 | 1,460 |
| West Virginia | $46,620 | $22.41 | $35,780 to $59,080 | 880 |
| Florida | $45,880 | $22.06 | $38,700 to $58,790 | 12,550 |
| Mississippi | $45,660 | $21.95 | $36,150 to $59,400 | 2,000 |
| Oklahoma | $44,950 | $21.61 | $36,940 to $56,620 | 2,180 |
| New Mexico | $43,960 | $21.13 | $37,440 to $53,550 | 1,350 |
| South Dakota | $43,920 | $21.12 | $31,200 to $49,490 | 860 |
| Guam | $39,630 | $19.05 | $30,920 to $54,950 | 130 |
| Virgin Islands | $33,870 | $16.28 | $33,680 to $40,650 | 30 |
| Puerto Rico | $24,750 | $11.90 | $22,710 to $28,730 | 740 |
Highest paying cities for dispatchers
The ten metro areas with the highest median, out of the 379 where BLS publishes one.
| Metro area | Median annual | Median hourly | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $64,890 | $31.20 | 100 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | $62,130 | $29.87 | 80 |
| Fargo, ND-MN | $61,260 | $29.45 | 150 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $60,890 | $29.27 | 120 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $60,780 | $29.22 | 720 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $59,560 | $28.64 | 1,770 |
| Duluth, MN-WI | $59,510 | $28.61 | 110 |
| Lebanon, PA | $59,390 | $28.55 | 50 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $59,340 | $28.53 | 2,950 |
| Lewiston-Auburn, ME | $59,160 | $28.44 | 60 |
The lowest medians in the 50 states and DC: Eagle Pass, TX ($34,520), Beckley, WV ($36,320), Parkersburg-Vienna, WV ($37,440), Laredo, TX ($38,140) and Gulfport-Biloxi, MS ($38,490).
What it pays where you are
Pick your state or metro area. The wage is the median there; the cost line is what an employer pays once benefits are added.
Dispatcher, the United States, 40 hours a week
$67,957 a year
$5,663 a month. Wages $50,336 at the median of $24.20 an hour, plus $17,621 in benefits. The middle half of dispatchers here earn $42,750 to $62,450 in wages.
The routine half of a dispatcher’s job, for 11% of what one costs.
- Books, confirms and reschedules jobs from the calendar and the job system you already run.
- Texts the customer the arrival window and the follow-up in your voice.
- Keeps the schedule, the techs and the customer records in agreement.
Professional is $629 a month, $7,548 a year, against about $68,000 a year for a dispatcher at the median once benefits are added. On Professional we connect your tools, bring your data in and set up the first rules with you. Anything that moves money waits for your yes.
“Cut our month-end close from 4 days to 4 hours.” Marcus C., owner
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What dispatchers do
Dispatchers schedule and route technicians, drivers or crews, take service calls and keep the day’s jobs moving. BLS counts them under occupation 43-5032, which is the definition every figure on this page uses.
For an employer, the wage is the start: benefits at a small employer add 35%, so a dispatcher at the median costs about $68,000 a year. The employer’s numbers, by state and metro, are on what a dispatcher costs. The routine part of the job, the follow-ups, the reconciling, the scheduling, is the part Liaison does inside the tools a business already runs.
Questions
What is the average dispatcher salary?
The median dispatcher in the United States earned $50,340 a year, or $24.20 an hour, in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 survey. The middle half earned between $42,750 and $62,450. The median is the wage half of dispatchers earn more than and half earn less than, which is a steadier guide than an average.
How much does a dispatcher make an hour?
The median dispatcher earns $24.20 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 survey. At 2,080 hours a year that is $50,340. The middle half earn between $20.55 and $30.02 an hour.
Which states pay dispatchers the most?
District of Columbia ($72,260), Washington ($59,330), Minnesota ($59,220), North Dakota ($57,580) and Illinois ($57,240).
Which cities pay dispatchers the most?
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA ($64,890), Fairbanks-College, AK ($62,130), Fargo, ND-MN ($61,260), Barnstable Town, MA ($60,890) and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($60,780), out of the 379 metro areas where BLS publishes a median for dispatchers.
How many dispatchers are there?
BLS counted 202,810 dispatchers employed in the United States in May 2025.
What does a dispatcher cost an employer?
Wages are only part of it. At employers with fewer than 50 workers, benefits add 35% on top of wages (BLS, June 2026), so a dispatcher at the median costs about $68,000 a year. The employer’s view, by state and metro, is at useliaison.com/back-office-costs/dispatcher.
Other roles
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Annual figures assume 2,080 hours a year. Updated 2026-10-02.
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