Dispatching
Drawn directly from OPM FedScope (June 2026), this page tracks headcount, average salary, tenure, and pay comparison for the Dispatching occupation series (code 2151).
The verdict
In the Transportation Group family, Dispatching counts 1,378 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.1% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 4.7% from the prior period; pay averages $58,047, which pays below the federal-wide $117,339.
- Employees
- 1,378
- Share of workforce
- 0.1%
- Avg salary
- $58,047
- Avg tenure
- 10.9 yrs
FedScope read on Dispatching (dense series)
As of the June 2026 reporting window, 1,378 people work in the Dispatching occupation (OPM code 2151) across federal agencies, 0.1% of the 1,953,300-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -4.7% from the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
Dispatching pays $58,047 per year on average, moving up 0.0% from the prior period (a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change). Employees in this role stay an average of 10.9 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.
Code 21, the Transportation Group family, is where the federal government classifies Dispatching alongside 19 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Dispatching postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Transportation Group family.
Inside the Transportation Group family (20 occupations, 42,428 employees combined), Dispatching holds the #7 spot by headcount, a 3.2% share of the family total. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (13th percentile) of pay among Transportation Group occupations.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Dispatching pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$58,047
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-50.5%
Where Dispatching ranks on lean federal pay
Its average salary of $58,047 is higher than 11% of federal occupation series (62 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Dispatching sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Dispatching ranks higher than 11%.
Related Occupations in Transportation Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Traffic Control | 21,627 | $153,037 | 13.7 yrs |
| Transportation Specialist | 8,313 | $123,621 | 16.6 yrs |
| Transportation Clerk and Assistant | 2,525 | $55,598 | 11.3 yrs |
| Aircraft Operation | 2,432 | $149,284 | 15.2 yrs |
| Transportation Operations | 1,900 | $105,349 | 16.3 yrs |
| Traffic Management | 1,400 | $119,205 | 15.8 yrs |
| Technical Systems Program Manager | 672 | $191,580 | 24.5 yrs |
| Railroad Safety | 497 | $119,966 | 14.1 yrs |
| Motor Carrier Safety | 467 | $94,322 | 12 yrs |
| Aircrew Technician | 374 | n/a | 13.5 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Dispatching outside the Transportation Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar dense headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (1,378 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($58,047 here).
Key takeaways
- Dispatching pays below the federal average by 50.5% ($58,047 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 11th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 1,378 employees, 0.1% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 4.7% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Dispatching ranks #183 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Inside the Transportation Group family (20 occupations, 42,428 employees combined), Dispatching holds the #7 spot by headcount, a 3.2% share of the family total.
OPM FedScope and Federal Workforce Data figures are federal civilian headcounts, average salaries, and length-of-service statistics - not job-quality scores, hiring advice, or a live vacancy listing. A larger or higher-paid agency is not a better employer.