Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance Salary
The median pay for a dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA is $57,100/year ($27.45/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $78K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 109.9), so that salary is closer to $51,956 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $4,214/month, about 113% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $57K get you in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Santa Cruz-Watsonville’s Regional Price Parity (109.9). 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 Santa Cruz-Watsonville
Santa Cruz-Watsonville sits well above the national pay line for dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance, local pay runs about 13% higher than the U.S. median of $50K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $4,214/month, which is 109.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 10% above the national average (BEA RPP 109.9), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulances in metros near Santa Cruz-Watsonville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $52K | $46K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $52K | $49K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $59K | $51K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $52K | $46K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
Entry-level dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulances (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $57K. Top earners bring in $78K or more, a $32K 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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Frequently asked questions
Can a dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $57K, rent takes 109.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $4,214/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulances typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,761/month. At HUD’s $4,214/month FMR, rent would take 153% 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 Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Local pay is 13% above the national median — $57K here vs. $50K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 10% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Santa Cruz-Watsonville compare to the national average for dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulances?
Santa Cruz-Watsonville pays $57K median vs. the U.S. average of $50K — that’s +13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 109.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulances make in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
The median is $57,100 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,010, and experienced dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulances can clear $77,960. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $57K enough to live in Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,850/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $4,214/month, which eats 109.5% 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 Santa Cruz-Watsonville?
Santa Cruz-Watsonville has a Regional Price Parity of 109.9 (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 $51,956 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.