Rail operations controller vs dispatcher

The differences between rail operations controllers and dispatchers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a rail operations controller and a dispatcher. Additionally, a dispatcher has an average salary of $35,328, which is higher than the $34,907 average annual salary of a rail operations controller.

The top three skills for a rail operations controller include direct supervision, customer service and . The most important skills for a dispatcher are customer service, data entry, and computer aided dispatch.

Rail operations controller vs dispatcher overview

	Rail Operations Controller	Dispatcher
Yearly salary	$34,907	$35,328
Hourly rate	$16.78	$16.98
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	73,688	5,818
Job satisfaction	-	4.25
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	High School Diploma, 33%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

Rail operations controller vs dispatcher salary

Rail operations controllers and dispatchers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Rail Operations Controller	Dispatcher
Average salary	$34,907	$35,328
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $52,000	Between $27,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	-	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Mt. San Antonio College
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between rail operations controller and dispatcher education

There are a few differences between a rail operations controller and a dispatcher in terms of educational background:

	Rail Operations Controller	Dispatcher
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	High School Diploma, 33%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Rail operations controller vs dispatcher demographics

Here are the differences between rail operations controllers' and dispatchers' demographics:

	Rail Operations Controller	Dispatcher
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 77.8% Female, 22.2%	Male, 38.1% Female, 61.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 3.8% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 3.8% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between rail operations controller and dispatcher duties and responsibilities

Rail operations controller example responsibilities.

Manage SharePoint database and spreadsheet for coverage opinion bills.
Reconcile and analyze a multitude of reports in updating revenue-reporting process within Salesforce in order to implement an accurate billing process.
Help support project development by creating documents, spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, and informational packets about Wisconsin educational opportunities.

Dispatcher example responsibilities.

Manage accounts payable (A/P) and accounts receivable (A/R) using QuickBooks.
Manage dot hrs for drivers as far as what tasks can be done in a certain amount of time.
Manage customer service satisfaction by providing update eta and location of drivers.
Dispatch police fire and ems.
Dispatch district security patrol officers to assist district employees, students and residents with emergency situations.
Earn CDL with passenger endorsement.

Rail operations controller vs dispatcher skills

Common rail operations controller skills

Direct Supervision, 59%
Customer Service, 41%

Common dispatcher skills

Customer Service, 34%
Data Entry, 8%
Computer Aided Dispatch, 4%
Non-Emergency Calls, 4%
Emergency Situations, 3%
EMS, 3%

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Rail Operations Controller
Rail Operations Controller vs Dispatcher

Updated January 8, 2025

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