How to hire an operations/dispatch

How to hire an operations/dispatch, step by step

Here's a step-by-step operations/dispatch hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an operations/dispatch job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new operations/dispatch
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an operations/dispatch do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The operations/dispatch hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect operations/dispatch also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of operations/dispatches.

   Type of Operations/Dispatch	Description	Hourly rate
   Operations/Dispatch	Police, fire, and ambulance dispatchers, also called public safety telecommunicators, answer emergency and nonemergency calls.	$13-25
   Call Taker	A call taker works at a call or dispatch center, where they are primarily in charge of answering calls, identifying the callers' needs, and coordinating services to assist them right away. Although their responsibilities depend on their company or industry of employment, it usually involves answering inquiries, processing requests, arranging appointments or reservations, and handling issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently... Show more	$13-24
   Telecommunicator	A telecommunicator receives calls and obtains information from people in need of assistance. Telecommunicators, also called 911 or public safety dispatchers, use a two-way radio in dispatching the right services to police officers, first responders, and firefighters... Show more	$13-25

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patrol
   • Data Entry
   • Computer Aided Dispatch
   • Quality Customer Service
   • Two-Way Radio
   • Emergency Situations
   • Non-Emergency Calls
   • Dispatch System
   • CCTV
   • Inbound Calls
   • Emergency Services
   • Computer System
   • Alarm Systems
   • Security Systems

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage customer service satisfaction by providing update eta and location of drivers.
   • Assist A/R with basic accounting issues.
   • Certify by ACJIC as a NCIC operator.
   • Call taker job are taking customers calls.
   • Cross-Train as both call taker and dispatcher.
   • Dispatch calls to the appropriate agency - police, fire, ems.

   More operations/dispatch duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your operations/dispatch job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An operations/dispatch salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, operations/dispatches' average salary in kentucky is 48% less than in pennsylvania.
   • Seniority. Entry-level operations/dispatches earn 48% less than senior-level operations/dispatches.
   • Certifications. An operations/dispatch with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an operations/dispatch's salary.

   Average operations/dispatch salary

   $39,483yearly

   $18.98 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level operations/dispatch salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average operations/dispatch salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$58,032	$28
   2	Pennsylvania	$55,956	$27
   3	Minnesota	$45,112	$22
   4	Colorado	$44,222	$21
   5	Florida	$44,129	$21
   6	Virginia	$41,467	$20
   7	Alaska	$40,669	$20
   8	Texas	$39,951	$19
   9	Maryland	$39,747	$19
   10	New York	$39,344	$19
   11	Massachusetts	$38,880	$19
   12	Louisiana	$38,399	$18
   13	Missouri	$36,915	$18
   14	Michigan	$36,797	$18
   15	Alabama	$36,657	$18
   16	Georgia	$35,235	$17
   17	Tennessee	$35,168	$17
   18	North Carolina	$34,185	$16
   19	Ohio	$31,590	$15

   Average operations/dispatch salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	AECOM	$51,865	$24.94	3
   2	Ohlone College	$50,206	$24.14
   3	Tesla	$48,549	$23.34	6
   4	Central Washington University	$48,269	$23.21
   5	BD	$46,421	$22.32	3
   6	Children's Hospital New Orleans	$44,591	$21.44
   7	Lucent	$44,343	$21.32
   8	Chugach Electric	$44,240	$21.27
   9	Reef	$43,448	$20.89	2
   10	HealthTrust	$43,214	$20.78
   11	Millennium Trust	$42,293	$20.33
   12	Mayo Clinic	$41,570	$19.99	3
   13	Hilton Grand Vacations	$41,037	$19.73	4
   14	Highmark	$40,376	$19.41	35
   15	Banner Health	$39,305	$18.90	4
   16	General Dynamics	$38,681	$18.60	13
   17	ASRC Federal	$37,933	$18.24	5
   18	ADD STAFF	$37,835	$18.19
   19	Acuren	$37,372	$17.97	1
   20	Children's Hospital Foundation	$37,319	$17.94

4. Writing an operations/dispatch job description

   A good operations/dispatch job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an operations/dispatch job description:

   Operations/dispatch job description example

   Chugach Electric Association, Inc., Alaska's largest electric utility, is recruiting for a System Operations Power Dispatcher in our Power Supply Division.
   
   Please complete an on-line application and include a resume and cover letter explaining how your qualifications and experience meet the specific needs as related to this position.
   
   The Power Dispatcher provides day-to-day dispatching of Power Control activities under the general direction of System Control Operations Supervisor to assure continuous service to the Association's consumers in the safest, most economical manner.
   
   This position also works with all other five(5) Alaska interconnected electric utilities and restoring the system to normal operation following service interruption considering always the safety of personnel, the public, and equipment.
   
   This position is subject to the terms and conditions of the Generation Plant Personnel Agreement, between Chugach Electric Association, Inc. and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 1547.
   
   The Power Dispatcher maintains economic operation and service continuity of the Chugach service territory electric system which includes: switching clearances and orders, Calculating transformer, generator, and lines using megawatts, megavars, voltage, amperes and power factors, Operates supervisory control equipment, radio and telephone. Operates SCADA System.
   Understaning of: The operation of an electric utility system Electrical fundamentals Coordination of system loads and resources Economic dispatch of mixed generation resources Ability to: Read and comprehend electrical drawings and schematics. Work in frequent high stress situations (Demonstrated ability) Understand, read, and speak English Give / receive orders & reports over radio/telephone circuits Exercise mature judgment, make decisions, communicate well and to consider consequences of actions taken. Effectively communicate during high stress situations. Qualifications: Experience & Knowledge: Minimum of five years recent successful experience as a Power Dispatcher required, at least two operating in a power pooling environment. Extensive knowledge and understanding of electric power generation transmission and distribution. Knowledge of power system protective relaying systems. Working knowledge of switching and clearance procedures. Understanding of coordination of system loads and both hydro and thermal resources. Demonstrated ability to adapt to shift work. Vision sufficient to read data displayed at consoles and mimic panels. Not color blind to red and green as determined by Company physician. Demonstrated ability to work calmly in frequently high stress situations. Education: EE degree; AA degree with course work in computers, math or engineering and two (2) years utility experience Or High School Diploma (or equivalent) and four (4) years utility experience. Working Conditions: Required to work rotating shifts in a 24-hour dispatching operation. At times may be required to be present in the control center during system disturbances for extended periods of time.
   
   Job Posted by ApplicantPro

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right operations/dispatch for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your operations/dispatch job on Zippia to find and recruit operations/dispatch candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit operations/dispatches, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new operations/dispatch

   Once you have selected a candidate for the operations/dispatch position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new operations/dispatch. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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