Communications dispatcher demographics and statistics in the US
Communications dispatcher demographics research summary. Zippia estimates communications dispatcher demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our communications dispatcher estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about communications dispatchers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 188,240 communications dispatchers currently employed in the United States.
- 70.4% of all communications dispatchers are women, while 29.6% are men.
- The average communications dispatcher age is 39 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of communications dispatchers is White (72.1%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (11.1%), Black or African American (9.1%) and Unknown (6.0%).
- Communications dispatchers are most in-demand in Kansas City, MO.
- Santa Rosa, CA pays an annual average wage of $54,736, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women communications dispatchers earned 98% of what men earned.
- Maine is the best state for communications dispatchers to live.
- Communications dispatchers are 40% more likely to work at government companies in comparison to private companies.
On this page
Communications dispatcher demographics by:
Communications dispatcher gender statistics
70.4% of communications dispatchers are women and 29.6% of communications dispatchers are men.
- Female, 70.4%
- Male, 29.6%
Communications dispatcher gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 70.4% |
| Male | 29.6% |
Communications dispatcher gender pay gap
Women earn 98¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$36,274
Female income
$35,400
Communications dispatcher gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in communications dispatcher positions over time. Currently, 70.4% of communications dispatchers are female.
Communications dispatcher gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 40.64% | 59.36% |
| 2011 | 41.04% | 58.96% |
| 2012 | 39.70% | 60.30% |
| 2013 | 41.71% | 58.29% |
| 2014 | 39.19% | 60.81% |
| 2015 | 42.57% | 57.43% |
| 2016 | 41.64% | 58.36% |
| 2017 | 40.43% | 59.57% |
| 2018 | 28.41% | 71.59% |
| 2019 | 30.65% | 69.35% |
| 2020 | 25.53% | 74.47% |
| 2021 | 29.62% | 70.38% |
Communications dispatcher related jobs gender ratio
We compared communications dispatchers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, centrifugal operator and flight information expediter have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmetician | 3% | 97% |
| Schedule Checker | 10% | 90% |
| Plant Clerk | 14% | 86% |
| Communications Dispatcher | 30% | 70% |
| Raw Scales Operator | 95% | 5% |
| Flight Information Expediter | 95% | 5% |
| Centrifugal Operator | 96% | 4% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Communications dispatcher demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among communications dispatchers is White, which makes up 72.1% of all communications dispatchers. Comparatively, 11.1% of communications dispatchers are Hispanic or Latino and 9.1% of communications dispatchers are Black or African American.
- White, 72.1%
- Hispanic or Latino, 11.1%
- Black or African American, 9.1%
- Unknown, 6.0%
- Asian, 0.9%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
Communications dispatcher race
| Communications dispatcher race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 72.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 11.1% |
| Black or African American | 9.1% |
| Unknown | 6.0% |
| Asian | 0.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.8% |
Communications dispatcher race and ethnicity over time
See how communications dispatcher racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Communications dispatcher race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 75.41% | 9.59% | 1.82% | 10.57% |
| 2011 | 72.29% | 11.37% | 1.84% | 11.47% |
| 2012 | 72.43% | 10.81% | 2.40% | 12.06% |
| 2013 | 73.67% | 10.30% | 2.21% | 10.51% |
| 2014 | 71.75% | 11.62% | 1.92% | 12.02% |
| 2015 | 72.03% | 11.76% | 1.89% | 11.94% |
| 2016 | 72.37% | 10.12% | 3.03% | 11.86% |
| 2017 | 72.17% | 9.51% | 2.13% | 13.04% |
| 2018 | 75.26% | 10.12% | 1.81% | 9.65% |
| 2019 | 77.98% | 8.31% | 0.77% | 9.25% |
| 2020 | 74.05% | 8.40% | 1.31% | 11.12% |
| 2021 | 72.13% | 9.14% | 0.90% | 11.11% |
Communications dispatcher wage gap by race
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $36,135 |
| White | $35,953 |
| Black or African American | $35,886 |
| Asian | $36,615 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $36,789 |
Average communications dispatcher age
See how the average age of communications dispatchers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Communications dispatcher age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 38.5 | |
| White | 40 | 39 |
| Black or African American | 39 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 31 | 32 |
Communications dispatcher age breakdown
The average age of communications dispatchers is 40+ years years old, representing 46% of the communications dispatcher population.
Communications dispatcher age breakdown
| Communications Dispatcher Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 46% |
| 30-40 years | 31% |
| 20-30 years | 22% |
Communications dispatcher educational attainment
- Bachelor's, 40%
- Associate, 28%
- High School Diploma, 21%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 7%
Communications dispatchers by degree level
| Communications dispatcher degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 40% |
| Associate | 28% |
| High School Diploma | 21% |
| Diploma | 4% |
| Other Degrees | 7% |
Communications dispatcher jobs you might like
Communications dispatcher wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $35,538 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $36,977 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $36,651 |
Communications dispatcher employment statistics
Most communications dispatchers work for a government in the government industry.
Company size where communications dispatchers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where communications dispatchers work.
Communications dispatcher jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 7% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 15% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 30% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 27% |
| > 10,000 employees | 12% |
Communications dispatcher jobs by company type
Employees with the communications dispatcher job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most communications dispatchers prefer to work at government companies over private companies.
Communications dispatcher jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 14% |
| Public | 10% |
| Private | 36% |
| Government | 40% |
Communications dispatcher jobs by industry
The most common industries for communications dispatchers are government, education and health care.
Communications dispatcher industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Government | 36% |
| Education | 13% |
| Health Care | 9% |
| Professional | 6% |
| Transportation | 5% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Utilities | 4% |
| Fortune 500 | 4% |
| Telecommunication | 3% |
| Technology | 3% |
| Media | 2% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Hospitality | 2% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
Communications dispatcher turnover and employment statistics
Communications dispatcher unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for communications dispatchers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Communications dispatcher unemployment rate by year
| Year | Communications dispatcher unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 8.02% |
| 2011 | 6.93% |
| 2012 | 5.71% |
| 2013 | 5.09% |
| 2014 | 4.22% |
| 2015 | 3.94% |
| 2016 | 3.81% |
| 2017 | 3.05% |
| 2018 | 1.93% |
| 2019 | 1.47% |
| 2020 | 1.38% |
| 2021 | 2.39% |
Average communications dispatcher tenure
The average communications dispatcher stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,054 communications dispatchers resumes in Zippia's database.
Communications dispatcher tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 22% |
| 1-2 years | 26% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 17% |
| 8-10 years | 8% |
| 11+ years | 14% |
Communications dispatcher LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of communications dispatchers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Template Storage Clerk | 6.40% | 67,196 |
| Courier Driver | 8.26% | 135,368 |
| Special Delivery Messenger | 9.48% | 11,551 |
| Parcel Assistant | 10.33% | 10,187 |
| Assistant Planner | 10.63% | 13,753 |
| Posting Machine Operator | 11.70% | 53,653 |
| Communications Dispatcher | 17.25% | - |
Similar communications dispatcher jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Template Storage Clerk | 6.40% | 67,196 |
| Courier Driver | 8.26% | 135,368 |
| Special Delivery Messenger | 9.48% | 11,551 |
| Parcel Assistant | 10.33% | 10,187 |
| Assistant Planner | 10.63% | 13,753 |
| Posting Machine Operator | 11.70% | 53,653 |
Foreign languages spoken by communications dispatchers
The most common foreign language among communications dispatchers is Spanish at 88.2%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Russian at 5.9% and Arabic is the third-most popular at 5.9%.
- Spanish, 88.2%
- Russian, 5.9%
- Arabic, 5.9%
Communications dispatcher languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 88.2% |
| Russian | 5.9% |
| Arabic | 5.9% |
