Airline dispatcher vs traffic manager

The differences between airline dispatchers and traffic managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a traffic manager has an average salary of $61,734, which is higher than the $45,071 average annual salary of an airline dispatcher.

The top three skills for an airline dispatcher include FAA, and . The most important skills for a traffic manager are project management, traffic management, and account executives.

Airline dispatcher vs traffic manager overview

	Airline Dispatcher	Traffic Manager
Yearly salary	$45,071	$61,734
Hourly rate	$21.67	$29.68
Growth rate	1%	-3%
Number of jobs	4,408	14,997
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average age	38	45
Years of experience	-	4

Airline dispatcher vs traffic manager salary

Airline dispatchers and traffic managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Airline Dispatcher	Traffic Manager
Average salary	$45,071	$61,734
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $78,000	Between $37,000 And $102,000
Highest paying City	-	San Carlos, CA
Highest paying state	-	Virginia
Best paying company	-	AbbVie
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between airline dispatcher and traffic manager education

There are a few differences between an airline dispatcher and a traffic manager in terms of educational background:

	Airline Dispatcher	Traffic Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common major	Aviation	Business
Most common college	SUNY Farmingdale	Stanford University

Airline dispatcher vs traffic manager demographics

Here are the differences between airline dispatchers' and traffic managers' demographics:

	Airline Dispatcher	Traffic Manager
Average age	38	45
Gender ratio	Male, 77.8% Female, 22.2%	Male, 47.9% Female, 52.1%
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, 59.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	7%	5%

Differences between airline dispatcher and traffic manager 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.

Traffic manager example responsibilities.

Manage and schedule all FM commercials for national affiliates.
Manage and schedule all FM commercials per customers' contract drive times.
Manage all inbound material which include part shortages, EC changes, QC inspection parts and sequence material.
Train and supervise coordinators and junior AE s. create job number tracking system for print/broadcast events.
Provide oversight to all computer functions relative to the importation of vessels and the release and shipment of vehicles.
Perform continuous analysis of TMS, operation and business process for continuous improvement.

Airline dispatcher vs traffic manager skills

Common airline dispatcher skills

FAA, 100%

Common traffic manager skills

Project Management, 10%
Traffic Management, 6%
Account Executives, 5%
FAA, 4%
PowerPoint, 4%
Traffic Logs, 4%

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Airline Dispatcher vs Traffic Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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