Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance Salary
The median pay for a dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance in California is $52,350/year ($25.17/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $81K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $49,322 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 72.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $52K get you in California?
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What this looks like in California
Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance pay in California tracks closely to the national median, $52K locally vs. $50K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 69.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, California
Entry-level dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulances (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $52K. Top earners bring in $81K or more, a $42K spread from bottom to top.
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance salary by metro in California
25 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $61K | +16% | 720 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $59K | +12% | 3,010 |
| Napa | $57K | +9% | 90 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $57K | +9% | 120 |
| Vallejo | $56K | +8% | 240 |
| Stockton-Lodi | $56K | +7% | 670 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $54K | +4% | 250 |
| El Centro | $54K | +3% | 150 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $53K | +2% | 90 |
| Yuba City | $52K | +0% | 250 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $52K | -0% | 7,700 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $52K | -1% | 3,250 |
| Modesto | $52K | -1% | 330 |
| Salinas | $52K | -1% | 250 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $52K | -1% | 1,740 |
| Merced | $52K | -2% | 130 |
| Bakersfield-Delano | $51K | -3% | 540 |
| Visalia | $51K | -3% | 260 |
| Redding | $51K | -3% | 140 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $51K | -3% | 1,360 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $50K | -4% | 500 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $50K | -4% | 230 |
| Fresno | $50K | -5% | 800 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | $48K | -8% | 50 |
| Chico | $48K | -8% | 70 |
Showing 1–10 of 25 metros
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Frequently asked questions
Can a dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $52K, rent takes 69.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/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 California?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulances typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,371/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 104% 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 California?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $52K locally vs. $50K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does California compare to the national average for dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulances?
California pays $52K median vs. the U.S. average of $50K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $49K — below the national median.
How much do dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulances make in California?
The median is $52,350 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,520, and experienced dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulances can clear $81,070. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $52K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,556/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 69.5% 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 California?
California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance salary is worth about $49,322 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.