Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance Salary
The median pay for a dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance in Arizona is $47,880/year ($23.02/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $69K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.41), that's roughly $49,663 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,437/month, about 43.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Arizona. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $48K get you in Arizona?
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What this looks like in Arizona
Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance pay in Arizona tracks closely to the national median, $48K locally vs. $50K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,437/month, which is 43.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.41) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Arizona
Entry-level dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulances (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $69K or more, a $31K spread from bottom to top.
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance salary by metro in Arizona
7 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flagstaff | $50K | +5% | 100 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $48K | +1% | 4,200 |
| Sierra Vista-Douglas | $46K | -3% | 70 |
| Tucson | $46K | -4% | 510 |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman | $45K | -6% | 100 |
| Prescott Valley-Prescott | $45K | -6% | 140 |
| Yuma | $44K | -8% | 190 |
Compare to other states
Track dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Arizona numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance afford a 2BR apartment alone in Arizona?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 43.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,437/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulances in Arizona?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulances typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,247/month. At HUD’s $1,437/month FMR, rent would take 64% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance a high-paying job in Arizona?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $48K locally vs. $50K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Arizona compare to the national average for dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulances?
Arizona pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $50K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.41), the purchasing-power equivalent is $50K — below the national median.
How much do dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulances make in Arizona?
The median is $47,880 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,450, and experienced dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulances can clear $68,900. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Arizona?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,276/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,437/month, which eats 43.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance salary go in Arizona?
Arizona has a Regional Price Parity of 96.41 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance salary is worth about $49,663 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulances get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.