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Police, Fire, and Ambulance Dispatcher Salary in U.S.

The salary statistics of police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers are shown in Table 1. In the next few tables we compare the average salaries of police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers within different industry sectors and in the 50 states of the United States. The police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers annual salary statistics are from the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 and published in April 2023 [1].

Table 1. Police, Fire, and Ambulance Dispatcher Salary in U.S. (2022 survey)

Percentile BracketAverage Annual Salary
10th Percentile Wage
$31,090
25th Percentile Wage
$37,720
50th Percentile Wage
$46,900
75th Percentile Wage
$59,440
90th Percentile Wage
$70,730

Table 1 shows the average annual salary for police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers is $70,730. The median annual salary (50th percentile) is $46,900. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $31,090. Notice that in the United States, the annual salary of the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is almost 127% higher than that of the bottom 10 percent.

Median salary trend (2012 to 2022)

The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers from 2012 to 2022.

YearMedian SalaryYearly Growth10-Year Growth
2022
$46,900
0.49% 22.60%
2021
$46,670
7.24% -
2020
$43,290
3.19% -
2019
$41,910
2.98% -
2018
$40,660
2.51% -
2017
$39,640
1.94% -
2016
$38,870
2.21% -
2015
$38,010
1.58% -
2014
$37,410
0.99% -
2013
$37,040
2.00% -
2012
$36,300
- -

Table 2. Police, Fire, and Ambulance Dispatcher Salary by Industry Sector (2022 survey)

The average salaries of police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers in 11 major industry sectors are shown in Table 2. We note that the salaries vary considerably within different industry sectors. The highest paying industry sector for police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers occupations is the transportation and warehousing sector with an annual salary $61,340. The lowest paying sector is the construction sector (annual salary $30,990).

Industry Sector Median Annual Salary
Transportation and Warehousing
$61,340
Federal, State, and Local Government
$47,690
Manufacturing
$47,450
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$46,540
Management of Companies and Enterprises
$45,120
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services
$41,180
Educational Services
$40,850
Health Care and Social Assistance
$39,390
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
$38,260
Accommodation and Food Services
$37,110
Construction
$30,990

Table 3. Median Annual Wage of Police, Fire, and Ambulance Dispatchers by States (2022 survey)

From the above tables we note that not only police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers salaries vary considerably based on one's education and experience, and the industry sectors, they also change considerably from state to state. In the following table we compare the median salary of police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers in all 50 states of the United States. We note that the median annual salaries range from $23,150 to $72,780. The highest paying state for police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers is California with a median annual salary of $72,780. The lowest paying state is Puerto Rico with a median annual salary of $23,150. For more salary information of police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers profession in a specific state, use the links in the table.

State Name Median Annual Salary
California
$72,780
Washington
$64,610
Oregon
$62,250
Minnesota
$60,910
Connecticut
$60,770
Illinois
$58,500
New York
$58,010
Alaska
$56,860
Nevada
$55,740
Colorado
$52,750
Maryland
$51,590
New Jersey
$51,550
Massachusetts
$51,350
Hawaii
$51,060
Wisconsin
$50,720
Arizona
$49,640
North Dakota
$48,950
Ohio
$48,930
Pennsylvania
$48,660
New Hampshire
$47,900
Rhode Island
$47,760
Idaho
$47,740
Iowa
$47,330
Delaware
$47,230
Vermont
$47,150
Michigan
$47,120
Utah
$46,900
Maine
$46,730
Florida
$46,260
District of Columbia
$46,140
Wyoming
$43,490
Indiana
$42,020
Texas
$41,490
Nebraska
$41,350
Virginia
$40,180
Montana
$40,000
South Dakota
$39,450
New Mexico
$38,770
North Carolina
$38,700
Kansas
$37,890
Tennessee
$37,760
Missouri
$37,490
South Carolina
$37,270
West Virginia
$36,700
Kentucky
$36,620
Georgia
$36,350
Oklahoma
$35,420
Louisiana
$34,240
Alabama
$33,960
Arkansas
$33,080
Mississippi
$28,930
Puerto Rico
$23,150