Transportation dispatcher vs train dispatcher

The differences between transportation dispatchers and train 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 transportation dispatcher and a train dispatcher. Additionally, a train dispatcher has an average salary of $48,374, which is higher than the $36,218 average annual salary of a transportation dispatcher.

The top three skills for a transportation dispatcher include customer service, patients and data entry. The most important skills for a train dispatcher are emergency situations, train movement, and FRA.

Transportation dispatcher vs train dispatcher overview

	Transportation Dispatcher	Train Dispatcher
Yearly salary	$36,218	$48,374
Hourly rate	$17.41	$23.26
Growth rate	-8%	-
Number of jobs	12,205	5,390
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	2	2

Transportation dispatcher vs train dispatcher salary

Transportation dispatchers and train dispatchers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Transportation Dispatcher	Train Dispatcher
Average salary	$36,218	$48,374
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $46,000	Between $26,000 And $89,000
Highest paying City	Paramus, NJ	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	Northrop Grumman	-
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	-

Differences between transportation dispatcher and train dispatcher education

There are a few differences between a transportation dispatcher and a train dispatcher in terms of educational background:

	Transportation Dispatcher	Train Dispatcher
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Transportation dispatcher vs train dispatcher demographics

Here are the differences between transportation dispatchers' and train dispatchers' demographics:

	Transportation Dispatcher	Train Dispatcher
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 45.9% Female, 54.1%	Male, 60.7% Female, 39.3%
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 transportation dispatcher and train dispatcher duties and responsibilities

Transportation dispatcher example responsibilities.

Manage customer service satisfaction by providing update eta and location of drivers.
Monitor and report various GPS routes, road and weather conditions.
Work with different lines of accounting (LOA) for DTS and PCS transactions.
Keep track of all drivers on the road and delivery times and departure times through GPS tracking.
Schedule and coordinate HVAC technician's daily activities, part requisitions, and deliver detail customer information for technicians.
Determine the nature of the call and deploy the proper medical units and equipment need within the contracted eta time standards.

Train dispatcher example responsibilities.

Manage and organize project teams internally during implementation of new CMTS system.
Call and assign train crews (i.e., engineers, conductors and brakeman) for rail yard and over-the-road train operations.
Train HAZMAT awareness and CPR.
Devolve and implement course outline and syllabus.
Request advanced technical and specialize training through command and DoD agencies.
Participate actively on company's first response team and receive training in safety awareness, first response, and CPR.

Transportation dispatcher vs train dispatcher skills

Common transportation dispatcher skills

Customer Service, 33%
Patients, 17%
Data Entry, 9%
Patient Care, 6%
Patient Transport, 5%
CPR, 4%

Common train dispatcher skills

Emergency Situations, 15%
Train Movement, 12%
FRA, 9%
Emergency Calls, 9%
Federal Safety Rules, 5%
Traffic Signals, 5%

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Transportation Dispatcher
Transportation Dispatcher vs Train Dispatcher

Updated January 8, 2025

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