NOC 14404: Dispatchers
What dispatchers do
Dispatchers operate radios and other telecommunication equipment to dispatch emergency vehicles and to coordinate the activities of drivers and other personnel. They are employed by police, fire and health departments, other emergency service agencies, taxi, delivery and courier services, trucking and utilities companies, and other commercial and industrial establishments.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Receive requests for emergency assistance or service and contact ambulances, police and fire departments, tow-trucks, and utility crews
- Process and transmit information and instructions to coordinate the activities of vehicle operators, crews and equipment using a variety of computer-aided communications and dispatching equipment
- Dispatch personnel according to written schedules and work orders, or as required by emergency situations
- Advise vehicle operators of route and traffic problems such as construction, accidents, congestion, weather conditions, weight and size restrictions and other information
- Operate radio equipment to communicate with ships, aircraft, mining crews, offshore oil rigs, logging camps and other remote operations
- Monitor personnel workloads and locations
- Maintain vehicle operator work records using computerized or manual methods and ensure time sheets and payroll summaries are completed accurately
- Maintain computer and manual records of mileage, fuel use, repairs and other expenses, and generate reports.
Job titles under NOC 14404
43 job titles are classified here, including 911 dispatcher, alarm system dispatcher, ambulance dispatcher.
- 911 dispatcher
- airline radio operator
- alarm system dispatcher
- alarm system operator
- ambulance dispatcher
- boat dispatcher
- car assignments clerk
- coal mine car dispatcher
- communications officer - emergency services
- communications specialist dispatcher
- drilling rig radio operator
- emergency medical dispatcher
- emergency services dispatcher
- emergency vehicle dispatcher
- fire alarm operator
- fire department dispatcher
- gas service crew dispatcher
- highway radio-telephone operator
- mail service dispatcher
- maintenance services dispatcher
- mine dispatcher
- mobile equipment dispatcher
- monitoring station operator
- motor vehicle dispatcher
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school is required.
- Police and emergency dispatchers are required to complete formal on-the-job training. Other dispatchers usually undergo some informal on-the-job training.
- Police and emergency dispatchers and other radio operators usually require provincial radio operator's certificates.
Dispatchers wages in Canada
Low, median and high hourly wages from Job Bank’s 2025 wage data. Annual figures assume full-time work (1,950 hours a year).
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Canada | $20.00/hr | $28.00/hr | $41.76/hr |
Toronto ON | $19.52/hr | $28.07/hr | $44.21/hr |
Montréal QC | $20.25/hr | $28.50/hr | $38.50/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $20.00/hr | $31.35/hr | $40.87/hr |
Calgary AB | $21.00/hr | $30.00/hr | $46.00/hr |
Edmonton AB | $21.00/hr | $30.00/hr | $46.00/hr |
Ottawa ON | $21.30/hr | $30.63/hr | $44.14/hr |
Winnipeg MB | $16.00/hr | $22.44/hr | $38.00/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $20.25/hr | $28.50/hr | $38.50/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $18.11/hr | $28.00/hr | $34.09/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $20.00/hr | $26.00/hr | $42.31/hr |
London ON | $19.84/hr | $27.94/hr | $42.87/hr |
Halifax NS | $18.00/hr | $25.64/hr | $34.00/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $23.33/hr | $30.99/hr | $43.47/hr |
Saskatoon Saskatoon–Biggar region, SK | $19.52/hr | $28.14/hr | $43.01/hr |
Regina Regina–Moose Mountain region, SK | $21.66/hr | $32.50/hr | $50.00/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | $18.75/hr | $25.00/hr | $36.00/hr |
Nova Scotia | $18.00/hr | $25.64/hr | $34.00/hr |
New Brunswick | $18.04/hr | $24.56/hr | $36.53/hr |
Quebec | $20.25/hr | $28.50/hr | $38.50/hr |
Ontario | $19.35/hr | $26.75/hr | $43.18/hr |
Manitoba | $16.00/hr | $22.44/hr | $38.00/hr |
Saskatchewan | $19.33/hr | $31.00/hr | $50.00/hr |
Alberta | $21.00/hr | $30.00/hr | $46.00/hr |
British Columbia | $21.00/hr | $31.35/hr | $40.87/hr |
Using NOC 14404 for your resume or Express Entry profile
- IRCC asks you to make sure the main duties listed for your NOC match what you actually did at your job. If they don’t, look for another unit group whose duties do.
- Describe your own work in your own words. Recruiters and ATS software look for concrete tools, results and scope, not text copied from the NOC.
- Applying from outside Canada? Run your resume through the Canadian resume format checker to catch things Canadian employers don’t expect, like a photo or date of birth.
- Use the job title the employer’s posting uses. The 43 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Air traffic controllers and related occupations (NOC 72601)
- Bus dispatcher (NOC 72024)
- Dispatchers supervisor (NOC 12013)
- Railway traffic controllers and marine traffic regulators (NOC 72604)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for dispatchers?
Dispatchers are NOC 2021 unit group 14404. Example job titles in this group include 911 dispatcher, alarm system dispatcher, ambulance dispatcher, emergency vehicle dispatcher.
What TEER is NOC 14404?
NOC 14404 is TEER 4 (High school and on-the-job training). Usually requires completion of secondary school, or several weeks of on-the-job training. TEER 4 and 5 work does not count as skilled work experience for Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker or Canadian Experience Class programs.
How much do dispatchers earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $28.00/hr, about $55,000 a year full-time, with a range of $20.00/hr to $41.76/hr.
Related occupations
Sources: Statistics Canada, National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0; Employment and Social Development Canada, Job Bank wages (2025). Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. OfferJetAI is not affiliated with the Government of Canada. Check IRCC’s NOC guidance before you apply.