Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance Salary in Seattle, WA

Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area earn a median $59,340 a year — 18% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $49,860 take-home, or $4,155 a month.

Median salary
$59,340
$28.53 per hour
Typical range
$46,990 – $91,900
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Seattle, WA
2,950
1.08× national concentration
▲0.5%
Pay trend: The median for dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance in Seattle, WA rose from $59,030 (May 2024) to $59,340 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 1.9%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance salary in Seattle, WA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance in Seattle, WA
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$49,860
per year · effective tax rate 16.0%
$4,155Monthly
$2,077Twice a month
$1,918Every 2 weeks
$23.97Hourly
  • Federal income tax$4,941
  • Social Security (6.2%)$3,679
  • Medicare (1.45%)$860
  • Washington income tax$0
  • Take-home pay$49,860

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 0.00% state

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance pay by experience in Seattle, WA

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$46,990$22.59$39,936$3,328
25th percentile$51,900$24.95$43,882$3,657
Median (50th)$59,340$28.53$49,860$4,155
75th percentile$75,510$36.30$61,951$5,163
90th percentile (top earners)$91,900$44.18$73,482$6,123

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Washington resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $59,340 buys in Seattle, WA

Prices in Seattle, WA are 11.1% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.51× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance's $49,860 take-home pay has the buying power of $44,865 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$2,022
49% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$2,379
57% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$2,133
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance jobs are about as common in Seattle, WA as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.08).

Best-paying cities for dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance, adjusted for cost of living

Seattle, WA ranks #1 of 13 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Seattle, WA $59,340$49,860$44,865
2Washington, DC $57,160$45,839$42,099
3Houston, TX $48,550$41,190$41,762
4Boston, MA $56,560$45,018$41,581
5New York, NY $58,180$46,383$41,206
6Philadelphia, PA $51,170$41,724$40,685
7San Francisco, CA $58,610$46,945$40,605
8Riverside, CA $52,000$42,117$39,568

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 13 metros →

About the job: dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance

Schedule and dispatch workers, work crews, equipment, or service vehicles for conveyance of materials, freight, or passengers, or for normal installation, service, or emergency repairs rendered outside the place of business. Duties may include using radio, telephone, or computer to transmit assignments and compiling statistics and reports on work progress.

Typical education
High school diploma or equivalent
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Job outlook, 2025–35
-0.7% (slower than average)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance make in Seattle, WA?

The median dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance salary in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area is $59,340 a year, or about $28.53 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $51,900 and $75,510.

What is a dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance’s take-home pay in Seattle, WA?

On the median $59,340 salary, a single filer living in Washington takes home about $49,860 a year ($4,155 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare in 2026.

Is Seattle, WA a good place to work as a dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance?

Pay here is 18% above the national median of $50,340. Local prices are 11.1% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $44,865 would in a typical U.S. city. Seattle, WA ranks #1 of 13 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance afford rent in Seattle, WA?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Seattle, WA is $2,022 a month ($2,379 for two bedrooms) — 49% of a median dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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