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Emergency dispatcher education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
Usually, emergency dispatchers don't need a college education. The most common degree for emergency dispatchers is bachelor's degree with 32% graduates, with only 29% emergency dispatcher graduates earning high school diploma. Emergency dispatchers who decided to graduate from college often finish University of Phoenix or Monroe College. Some good skills to have in this position include computer aided dispatch, ems and customer service.

Popular emergency dispatcher certifications include Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Emergency Medical Dispatcher Certification (EMD), or Emergency Medical Dispatcher. To improve emergency dispatcher qualification and skills, we prepared some online courses to help in emergency dispatcher education paths.

What education do you need to become an emergency dispatcher?

What degree do you need to be an emergency dispatcher?

The most common degree for emergency dispatchers is bachelor's degree, with 32% of emergency dispatchers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 29% and high school diploma degree at 25%.
  • Bachelor's, 32%
  • High School Diploma, 29%
  • Associate, 25%
  • Diploma, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become an emergency dispatcher?

You should major in criminal justice to become an emergency dispatcher. 20% of emergency dispatchers major in criminal justice. Other common majors for an emergency dispatcher include business and general studies.

Best majors for emergency dispatchers

RankMajorPercentages
1Criminal Justice20.0%
2Business19.6%
3General Studies9.4%
4Psychology6.1%
5Nursing4.5%

20 best online courses for emergency dispatchers

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1. Health in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies

coursera

The Center for Humanitarian Emergencies is a partnership between CDC's Emergency Response and Recovery Branch and the Rollins School of Public Health that drives global collaboration, research and evidence based training to improve the lives and well-being of populations impacted by humanitarian emergencies. - Center for Humanitarian Emergencies: http://www.che.emory.edu/ - CDC's Emergency Response and Recovery Branch: http://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/healthprotection/errb/index.html This course...

2. Medical Emergencies: CPR, Toxicology, and Wilderness

coursera

In this course, you will develop the knowledge and skills to assess and stabilize certain types of patients for transport. By the end of this course, you will be able to: (1) Identify the signs and symptoms associated with a patient in shock, to describe the major categories of shock, to assess a patient with signs of shock and formulate a plan for treatment to stabilize the patient for transport, (2) Identify a patient in cardiac arrest and to describe the components of high performance CPR...

3. Airline Operations: Flight Planning and Flight Dispatch

udemy
4.3
(702)

Airline Operations: Master the essentials of aviation - aircraft operational control and dispatch...

4. Personal Emergency Planning (Coronavirus - COVID-19 Edition)

udemy
4.5
(1,490)

Learn how to prepare for and respond to all the different kinds of emergencies that could befall you including COVID-19...

5. Medical Emergencies: Airway, Breathing, and Circulation

coursera

In this course, you will develop the knowledge and skills to assess and stabilize certain types of patients for transport. By the end of this course, you will be able to: 1) assess a basic medical patient 2) describe general pharmacologic principles and the skills associated with medication administration, 3) explain airway physiology, the assessment of the airway and available interventions for airway management, 4) identify, assess and formulate a plan to stabilize a patient with a...

6. Trauma Emergencies and Care

coursera

Welcome to Trauma Emergencies and Care. In this course, you will learn about some of the mechanics and physics of trauma on the human body, and how this can cause injury. You will continue to expand your new vocabulary with medical terminology, and learn how to describe the different injuries you may see. You will also learn about the trauma system itself- and when it is important to transport patients to a trauma center. Then we will dive into specific injuries based on what part of the body...

7. Truck Dispatcher - Working with owner operators

udemy
4.6
(724)

Work and earn...

8. Getting Started with Call Center Training

udemy
4.4
(607)

Call Center Training is essential for both new hires and existing staff to sharpen their skills and feel motivated...

9. CertNexus Certified Ethical Emerging Technologist

coursera

The Certified Ethical Emerging Technologist (CEET) industry validated certification helps professionals differentiate themselves from other job candidates by demonstrating their ability to ethically navigate data driven emerging technologies such as AI, Machine Learning and Data Science.\n\nOrganizations and governments are seeking out ethics professionals to minimize risk and guide their decision-making about the design of inclusive, responsible, and trusted technology. An algorithm not...

10. Fintech Startups in Emerging Markets

coursera

The University of Cape Town’s specialization will give aspiring entrepreneurs the tools to understand the technological innovations and challenges the financial services industry faces in the emerging market context. The specialization covers foundations of the changing financial regulations, new technological applications like blockchain or artificial intelligence and design thinking for startups in emerging markets. Through real-world case studies, you will see how this technology can unlock...

11. Emergency Life Support First Aid Training

udemy
4.7
(2,132)

Learn important life saving first aid. Treatment of major illness and injuries...

12. Computer Hardware, Operating System and Networking

udemy
4.1
(314)

For Any Graduates/Engineering/Diploma/Arts & Science/Freshers/Home Users/Individuals/Desktop Support/FM/Service Engineer...

13. Emergence of Life

coursera

How did life emerge on Earth? How have life and Earth co-evolved through geological time? Is life elsewhere in the universe? Take a look through the 4-billion-year history of life on Earth through the lens of the modern Tree of Life! This course will evaluate the entire history of life on Earth within the context of our cutting-edge understanding of the Tree of Life. This includes the pioneering work of Professor Carl Woese on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus which...

14. The Physics of Emergence: Introduction to Condensed Matter

coursera

We know the fundamental equations governing the motion of every atom in our brain and every electron in our computers - the motion of each and every atomic and subatomic particle on planet Earth can, in principle, be calculated from well understood physical laws. And yet, the natural world (and the behavior of humans and computers alike) continues to surprise us. This is because when large numbers of objects interact together, they can exhibit qualitatively new emergent phenomena, which are not...

15. Fire Safety and Prevention Planning

udemy
4.4
(1,467)

Become an expert in understanding Fire Safety and Prevention Planning for your workplaces and organizations...

16. ISO 22000:2018. Food Safety Management System

udemy
4.4
(976)

Understand the requirements for a food safety management system applicable for any organization in the food chain...

17. Exploring Emerging Technologies for Lifelong Learning and Success

coursera

This learning opportunity is an open-access resource for lifelong learning. The aim is to identify the value and implications of using established and emerging technology tools for personal and professional growth and acquire strategies to develop lifelong learning habits to keep pace with technology change. This course is targeted to the needs of ALL learners, including college students, faculty, current and career-seeking professionals, and anyone from across the globe with a desire to learn...

18. CVS Health Call Center Customer Service

coursera

The demand for call center customer service representatives is huge, there are thousands of open job roles in the US alone. If you are someone that enjoys talking to people and solving problems and are ready for new experiences, then this program is right for you. Customer service in a call center is an exciting career where every day is a new day and a new adventure. If you're considering a career in retail customer service and you're someone who is passionate about providing exceptional...

19. Winning Communication Skills for Telephone, Conference Calls

udemy
4.3
(2,677)

Improve Communication Skills - Use the Telephone Effectively! Avoid Phone Etiquette Blunders that Annoy...

20. Simulation of Call Centre Operations Using R Simmer

coursera

Introduction To Call Centre Simulation Process Create Statistical Variables Required For Simulation Define Trajectories for Call Centre Departments Define Teams, Resources & Arrivals of Calls Run Call Centre Simulation & Store Results Plot Charts & Interpret Simulation Results...

Average emergency dispatcher salary by education level

According to our data, emergency dispatchers with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $38,670 annually. Emergency dispatchers with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $38,326.
Emergency dispatcher education levelEmergency dispatcher salary
High School Diploma or Less$37,153
Bachelor's Degree$38,670
Some College/ Associate Degree$38,326

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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