Pay by state · 54 states
Dispatcher Salary by State (2026)
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance earn the most in District of Columbia at $72,260 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $24,750 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $50,340. All 54 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $72,260District of Columbia
- National median
- $50,340BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $24,750Puerto Rico
- States reporting
- 54of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Dispatcher salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $72,260 | $47,980 | $87,090 | 300 | $65,750 |
| 2 | WAWashington | $59,330 | $49,920 | $72,240 | 4,920 | $55,442 |
| 3 | MNMinnesota | $59,220 | $46,960 | $72,210 | 2,760 | $60,048 |
| 4 | NDNorth Dakota | $57,580 | $46,800 | $68,640 | 600 | $64,726 |
| 5 | ILIllinois | $57,240 | $46,750 | $71,410 | N/A | $57,264 |
| 6 | DEDelaware | $57,170 | $47,840 | $62,990 | 670 | $57,280 |
| 7 | AKAlaska | $56,730 | $49,340 | $73,880 | 570 | $55,423 |
| 8 | VTVermont | $56,360 | $46,200 | $61,940 | 260 | $57,535 |
| 9 | NYNew York | $55,810 | $44,410 | $74,840 | 11,160 | $51,714 |
| 10 | MAMassachusetts | $55,690 | $47,570 | $67,100 | 3,510 | $52,658 |
| 11 | MEMaine | $55,150 | $46,620 | $67,600 | 670 | $56,826 |
| 12 | OROregon | $54,980 | $46,980 | $65,510 | 3,290 | $53,192 |
| 13 | NJNew Jersey | $54,590 | $46,400 | $64,450 | 6,420 | $50,172 |
| 14 | COColorado | $54,070 | $47,910 | $64,040 | 3,470 | $52,469 |
| 15 | NENebraska | $53,880 | $45,850 | $63,740 | 1,500 | $59,798 |
| 16 | NHNew Hampshire | $52,770 | $47,110 | $62,010 | 710 | $50,660 |
| 17 | HIHawaii | $52,570 | $44,980 | $66,560 | 950 | $47,812 |
| 18 | CACalifornia | $52,350 | $46,120 | $63,160 | 23,970 | $47,281 |
| 19 | WIWisconsin | $52,350 | $44,650 | $62,390 | 3,240 | $55,635 |
| 20 | MOMissouri | $51,410 | $42,780 | $64,990 | 4,340 | $56,608 |
| 21 | MDMaryland | $51,350 | $43,980 | $64,360 | 3,310 | $48,924 |
| 22 | UTUtah | $51,010 | $42,740 | $61,780 | 2,040 | $51,596 |
| 23 | VAVirginia | $50,710 | $43,830 | $62,100 | 5,830 | $50,156 |
| 24 | OHOhio | $50,320 | $43,640 | $62,810 | 5,720 | $54,239 |
| 25 | INIndiana | $50,060 | $42,530 | $62,510 | 4,090 | $53,638 |
| 26 | KYKentucky | $49,990 | $41,770 | $61,890 | 2,440 | $55,446 |
| 27 | PAPennsylvania | $49,960 | $42,840 | $61,260 | 6,670 | $51,203 |
| 28 | IDIdaho | $49,660 | $38,590 | $65,380 | 1,430 | $52,003 |
| 29 | TNTennessee | $49,660 | $41,350 | $59,040 | 4,190 | $54,055 |
| 30 | MIMichigan | $49,490 | $42,390 | $62,040 | 5,390 | $51,436 |
| 31 | RIRhode Island | $49,320 | $46,170 | $60,380 | 530 | $48,221 |
| 32 | GAGeorgia | $49,180 | $39,830 | $61,140 | 6,190 | $51,073 |
| 33 | ALAlabama | $48,790 | $39,140 | $58,530 | 1,780 | $54,929 |
| 34 | WYWyoming | $48,690 | $41,060 | $58,850 | 240 | $52,529 |
| 35 | NCNorth Carolina | $48,230 | $41,390 | $59,110 | 5,740 | $51,131 |
| 36 | CTConnecticut | $47,960 | $44,180 | $62,030 | 2,220 | $46,289 |
| 37 | NVNevada | $47,920 | $40,630 | $58,630 | 2,840 | $47,930 |
| 38 | AZArizona | $47,880 | $42,340 | $58,000 | 5,690 | $47,558 |
| 39 | SCSouth Carolina | $47,550 | $39,110 | $61,120 | 2,440 | $50,721 |
| 40 | TXTexas | $47,320 | $37,630 | $59,980 | 23,920 | $48,755 |
| 41 | KSKansas | $47,170 | $38,580 | $60,620 | 1,670 | $52,372 |
| 42 | MTMontana | $47,140 | $44,030 | $60,910 | 810 | $49,807 |
| 43 | ARArkansas | $47,130 | $37,240 | $59,010 | 1,780 | $54,212 |
| 44 | LALouisiana | $47,050 | $38,160 | $59,970 | 2,980 | $53,340 |
| 45 | IAIowa | $47,000 | $43,200 | $60,340 | 1,460 | $53,554 |
| 46 | WVWest Virginia | $46,620 | $35,780 | $59,080 | 880 | $52,091 |
| 47 | FLFlorida | $45,880 | $38,700 | $58,790 | 12,550 | $44,365 |
| 48 | MSMississippi | $45,660 | $36,150 | $59,400 | 2,000 | $52,511 |
| 49 | OKOklahoma | $44,950 | $36,940 | $56,620 | 2,180 | $51,171 |
| 50 | NMNew Mexico | $43,960 | $37,440 | $53,550 | 1,350 | $47,673 |
| 51 | SDSouth Dakota | $43,920 | $31,200 | $49,490 | 860 | $49,579 |
| 52 | GUGuam | $39,630 | $30,920 | $54,950 | 130 | N/A |
| 53 | VIU.S. Virgin Islands | $33,870 | $33,680 | $40,650 | 30 | N/A |
| 54 | PRPuerto Rico | $24,750 | $22,710 | $28,730 | 740 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance, that changes the ranking: District of Columbia leads on raw pay at $72,260, while District of Columbia leads once prices are taken into account at $65,750.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Dispatcher pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance the most?
District of Columbia reports the highest median wage for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance at $72,260 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Washington ($59,330) and Minnesota ($59,220).
Which state pays Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance the least?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance at $24,750 a year, $47,510 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts District of Columbia first at $65,750 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $72,260. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.