Also called: Communications Supervisor, Shift Supervisor (911)
Leads a shift of 911 dispatchers and handles the most complex emergencies.
Dispatch supervisors balance staffing, jump on the radio during major incidents like shootings or wildfires, review tough calls with dispatchers, and support their team after traumatic calls.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 5 years after high school. Several years of dispatch experience; supervisor training.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Emergency Management, Public Administration.
Growing about average (about 3% over 10 years). BLS public safety telecommunicators 2024-34.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI takes routine calls and flags problems; running the floor during a big emergency stays human.
Classes: Psychology, Leadership class, Health / first aid.
Official data: O*NET occupation 43-1011.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.