What is a flight dispatcher and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a flight dispatcher. For example, did you know that they make an average of $20.07 an hour? That's $41,736 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 21% and produce 22,100 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreFlight DispatcherUS Average
Salary
3.3

Avg. Salary $41,736

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
10.0

Growth Rate 21%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.6
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.24%

Asian 8.69%

Black or African American 8.56%

Hispanic or Latino 16.26%

Unknown 7.18%

White 59.06%

Gender

female 32.43%

male 67.57%

Age - 51.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 51.5
Stress Level
10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
4.4

Complexity Level is basic

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
9.2

Work Life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Flight Dispatcher career paths

Key steps to become a flight dispatcher

  1. Explore flight dispatcher education requirements

    Most common flight dispatcher degrees

    Bachelor's

    59.7 %

    Associate

    14.8 %

    High School Diploma

    9.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific flight dispatcher skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    FAA22.37%
    Crew Scheduling11.40%
    Air Traffic Control6.03%
    NOTAMs5.46%
    Federal Regulations5.03%
  3. Complete relevant flight dispatcher training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New flight dispatchers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a flight dispatcher based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real flight dispatcher resumes.
  4. Research flight dispatcher duties and responsibilities

    • Schedule flight crews for assignments, mange corporate aircraft fleet, manage charter customer base, manage record keeping for FAA requirements
    • Originate and disseminate flight information to others in the company including stations and reservations.
    • Assist physically challenge passengers as appropriate; provide life-saving assistance to ill or incapacitate passengers, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation if require.
  5. Prepare your flight dispatcher resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your flight dispatcher resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a flight dispatcher resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Flight Dispatcher Resume templates

    Build a professional Flight Dispatcher resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Flight Dispatcher resume.
    Flight Dispatcher Resume
    Flight Dispatcher Resume
    Flight Dispatcher Resume
    Flight Dispatcher Resume
    Flight Dispatcher Resume
    Flight Dispatcher Resume
    Flight Dispatcher Resume
    Flight Dispatcher Resume
    Flight Dispatcher Resume
  6. Apply for flight dispatcher jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a flight dispatcher job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Flight Dispatcher Job

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Are you a Flight Dispatcher?

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Average flight dispatcher salary

The average Flight Dispatcher salary in the United States is $41,736 per year or $20 per hour. Flight dispatcher salaries range between $25,000 and $69,000 per year.

Average Flight Dispatcher Salary
$41,736 Yearly
$20.07 hourly

What Am I Worth?

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How do flight dispatchers rate their job?

-/5

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Flight Dispatcher reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2022
Pros

Working from home makes life much easier to manage.

Cons

Pay is not a liveable wage.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on May 2021
Pros

1. Arrangement of daily duty of everyday flight . 2.Surpervise of my staff according to their location. 3.breifing my crew about weather and flight condition or nature.

Cons

cancelling of flight due mismanage


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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