Airline dispatcher vs airport operations specialist

The differences between airline dispatchers and airport operations specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an airline dispatcher has an average salary of $45,071, which is higher than the $42,256 average annual salary of an airport operations specialist.

The top three skills for an airline dispatcher include FAA, and . The most important skills for an airport operations specialist are safety inspections, non-emergency situations, and federal aviation administration.

Airline dispatcher vs airport operations specialist overview

	Airline Dispatcher	Airport Operations Specialist
Yearly salary	$45,071	$42,256
Hourly rate	$21.67	$20.32
Growth rate	1%	6%
Number of jobs	4,408	63,594
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	38	45
Years of experience	-	4

Airline dispatcher vs airport operations specialist salary

Airline dispatchers and airport operations specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Airline Dispatcher	Airport Operations Specialist
Average salary	$45,071	$42,256
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $78,000	Between $28,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	-	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Jefferson County Sheriffs Dept
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between airline dispatcher and airport operations specialist education

There are a few differences between an airline dispatcher and an airport operations specialist in terms of educational background:

	Airline Dispatcher	Airport Operations Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Aviation	Aviation
Most common college	SUNY Farmingdale	SUNY Farmingdale

Airline dispatcher vs airport operations specialist demographics

Here are the differences between airline dispatchers' and airport operations specialists' demographics:

	Airline Dispatcher	Airport Operations Specialist
Average age	38	45
Gender ratio	Male, 77.8% Female, 22.2%	Male, 64.3% Female, 35.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 7.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 4.9% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 6.1% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	7%	5%

Differences between airline dispatcher and airport operations specialist duties and responsibilities

Airline dispatcher example responsibilities.

Manage dot hrs for drivers as far as what tasks can be done in a certain amount of time.
Dispatch aircraft in accordance with FAA regulations and company define policies.
General terminal maintenance including minor electrical, mechanical, and plumbing repairs.
General terminal maintenance including minor electrical, mechanical, and plumbing repairs.

Airport operations specialist example responsibilities.

Manage operations associate facilities, flight training equipment, and all associate logistics.
Direct airside operations, which include safety and wildlife inspections, employee training, NOTAMs, and more.
Attend meetings with FAA, TSA, tenants, and airport personnel to discuss operations, security and safety issues.
Monitor CCTV security cameras for activity on property.
Monitor the centralized security system to enforce TSA regulations.
Inspect and operate emergency rescue equipment and perform firefighting operations .!

Airline dispatcher vs airport operations specialist skills

Common airline dispatcher skills

FAA, 100%

Common airport operations specialist skills

Safety Inspections, 9%
Non-Emergency Situations, 8%
Federal Aviation Administration, 8%
Plumbing, 6%
Reservations, 6%
Federal Regulations, 5%

Airline Dispatcher vs. similar jobs

Airline Dispatcher related careers

Airline Dispatcher related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Transportation Industry
Airline Dispatcher
Airline Dispatcher vs Airport Operations Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse transportation jobs