Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2003

43-5031 Police, Fire, and Ambulance Dispatchers

Receive complaints from public concerning crimes and police emergencies. Broadcast orders to police patrol units in vicinity of complaint to investigate. Operate radio, telephone, or computer equipment to receive reports of fires and medical emergencies and relay information or orders to proper officials.

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
State profile for this occupation
Metropolitan area profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
89,620 1.7 % $14.27 $29,690 0.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $8.82 $10.82 $13.60 $16.98 $21.11
Annual Wage (2) $18,350 $22,500 $28,290 $35,320 $43,920

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Employment rank Wage rank
Local government (OES designation) 77,220 $14.42 $29,990 1 4
State government (OES designation) 3,930 $15.67 $32,590 2 3
Other ambulatory health care services 3,930 $11.94 $24,840 3 12
General medical and surgical hospitals 1,220 $12.82 $26,660 4 7
Colleges and universities 1,000 $12.31 $25,600 5 10

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Employment rank Wage rank
General freight trucking (6) $17.63 $36,670 (6) 1
Elementary and secondary schools 40 $16.01 $33,300 12 2
State government (OES designation) 3,930 $15.67 $32,590 2 3
Local government (OES designation) 77,220 $14.42 $29,990 1 4
Traveler accommodation 50 $13.41 $27,900 11 5

State profile for this occupation: Top

States with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment Wage rank within State
Wyoming 330 $12.31 $25,610 0.137% 326
West Virginia 860 $9.13 $18,980 0.126% 550
Tennessee 3,130 $12.04 $25,050 0.120% 511
Oklahoma 1,700 $10.11 $21,040 0.120% 566
Alaska 350 $18.99 $39,500 0.120% 265

Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment Wage rank within State
California 6,320 $20.73 $43,120 0.044% 337
Nevada 500 $19.13 $39,800 0.047% 275
Washington 1,260 $19.01 $39,540 0.049% 357
Alaska 350 $18.99 $39,500 0.120% 265
District of Columbia 120 $18.77 $39,030 0.020% 265

Metropolitan area profile for this occupation: Top

Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
Wheeling, WV-OH MSA 120 $9.32 $19,380 0.197%
Punta Gorda, FL MSA 80 $14.69 $30,550 0.197%
Cheyenne, WY MSA 70 $12.50 $26,000 0.190%
Gary, IN PMSA 420 $11.12 $23,130 0.169%
Alexandria, LA MSA 90 $9.72 $20,220 0.166%

Top paying Metropolitan areas for this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
San Jose, CA PMSA 410 $27.93 $58,080 0.047%
San Francisco, CA PMSA 420 $26.26 $54,620 0.043%
Oakland, CA PMSA 730 $24.32 $50,580 0.072%
Stockton-Lodi, CA MSA 200 $22.66 $47,120 0.099%
Stamford-Norwalk, CT PMSA 110 $22.22 $46,210 0.055%

About May 2003 National, State, and Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

To see profiles of other occupations, select from the major groups below:

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors in metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas in every State and the District of Columbia. The top five employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable Excel files(XLS).

Percentile wage estimates show the percentage of workers in an occupation that earn less than a given wage and the percentage that earn more. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(6) Estimates not released.

All Office and Administrative Support Occupations

2003 May National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

2003 May State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

2003 May Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

2003 May National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2003 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped Excel files

Technical notes

 

Last Modified Date: May 7, 2004