Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance Salary
The median pay for a dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance in Helena, MT is $48,690/year ($23.41/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $60K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.67), that's roughly $50,894 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,404/month, about 42.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $49K actually covers in Helena, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Helena’s Regional Price Parity (95.67). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulances
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What this looks like in Helena
Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance pay in Helena tracks closely to the national median, $49K locally vs. $50K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,404/month, which is 42.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 95.67) 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.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulances in metros near Helena, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Billings | $45K | $48K |
| Missoula | $46K | $48K |
| Bozeman | $54K | $53K |
| Great Falls | $51K | $53K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Helena, MT
Entry-level dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulances (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $60K or more, a $13K spread from bottom to top.
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $72K | +44% | 300 |
| Washington | $59K | +18% | 4,920 |
| Minnesota | $59K | +18% | 2,760 |
| North Dakota | $58K | +14% | 600 |
| Illinois | $57K | +14% | N/A |
| Delaware | $57K | +14% | 670 |
| Alaska | $57K | +13% | 570 |
| Vermont | $56K | +12% | 260 |
| New York | $56K | +11% | 11,160 |
| Massachusetts | $56K | +11% | 3,510 |
| Maine | $55K | +10% | 670 |
| Oregon | $55K | +9% | 3,290 |
| New Jersey | $55K | +8% | 6,420 |
| Colorado | $54K | +7% | 3,470 |
| Nebraska | $54K | +7% | 1,500 |
| New Hampshire | $53K | +5% | 710 |
| Hawaii | $53K | +4% | 950 |
| California | $52K | +4% | 23,970 |
| Wisconsin | $52K | +4% | 3,240 |
| Missouri | $51K | +2% | 4,340 |
| Maryland | $51K | +2% | 3,310 |
| Utah | $51K | +1% | 2,040 |
| Virginia | $51K | +1% | 5,830 |
| Ohio | $50K | -0% | 5,720 |
| Indiana | $50K | -1% | 4,090 |
| Kentucky | $50K | -1% | 2,440 |
| Pennsylvania | $50K | -1% | 6,670 |
| Idaho | $50K | -1% | 1,430 |
| Tennessee | $50K | -1% | 4,190 |
| Michigan | $49K | -2% | 5,390 |
| Rhode Island | $49K | -2% | 530 |
| Georgia | $49K | -2% | 6,190 |
| Alabama | $49K | -3% | 1,780 |
| Wyoming | $49K | -3% | 240 |
| North Carolina | $48K | -4% | 5,740 |
| Connecticut | $48K | -5% | 2,220 |
| Nevada | $48K | -5% | 2,840 |
| Arizona | $48K | -5% | 5,690 |
| South Carolina | $48K | -6% | 2,440 |
| Texas | $47K | -6% | 23,920 |
| Kansas | $47K | -6% | 1,670 |
| Montana | $47K | -6% | 810 |
| Arkansas | $47K | -6% | 1,780 |
| Louisiana | $47K | -7% | 2,980 |
| Iowa | $47K | -7% | 1,460 |
| West Virginia | $47K | -7% | 880 |
| Florida | $46K | -9% | 12,550 |
| Mississippi | $46K | -9% | 2,000 |
| Oklahoma | $45K | -11% | 2,180 |
| New Mexico | $44K | -13% | 1,350 |
| South Dakota | $44K | -13% | 860 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance afford a 2BR apartment alone in Helena?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 42.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,404/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 Helena?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulances typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,187/month. At HUD’s $1,404/month FMR, rent would take 44% 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 Helena?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $49K locally vs. $50K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Helena compare to the national average for dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulances?
Helena pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $50K — that’s -3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.67), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulances make in Helena, MT?
The median is $48,690 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,140, and experienced dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulances can clear $60,120. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Helena?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,283/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,404/month, which eats 42.8% 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 Helena?
Helena has a Regional Price Parity of 95.67 (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 $50,894 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.