Oakland Dispatcher Jobs Overview
From medical events to home invasions, emergencies happen every day. When someone dials 9-1-1 in a frenzy, the person taking the phone call must gather the details pertaining to the emergency to prevent injury or even death. That includes calming callers, offering life-saving instructions, and promptly dispatching emergency personnel such as police officers, EMTs, and firefighters. Dispatcher jobs require only a high school diploma and a state certification.
A career as a dispatcher might be a good choice for you if you remain calm under pressure and want to be in a job where you can make a difference in people's lives. As a dispatcher, you'll respond to 9-1-1 emergency calls and home alarm system calls and determine the type of emergency, the location of the emergency, and the appropriate personnel to be dispatched. In some cases, you may give medical instructions over the phone while waiting for an ambulance to arrive. And dispatcher positions are in constant demand—the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 6% increase in new dispatcher jobs within the next decade.
You can expand your search for administrative jobs by checking out these similar positions:
About Working in Oakland, California
If you're considering applying for Oakland jobs, three things you might hear about when you move here are sea monsters, gnomes, and secret staircases. The Oak-ness Monster in Lake Merritt, the only natural saltwater lake located in a city, has remained elusive since its first spotting in the 1940s. Oakland's gnomes are a little easier to find. An anonymous resident has painted and hidden thousands of gnomes all over the city since 2012. While you're looking for a gnome, you might stumble across a secret staircase. Hundreds of shortcut staircases were built a century ago to help streetcar and bus passengers commute from their Oakland jobs to their neighborhoods without having to walk along the city's winding roads.
If you're not in the mood for a scavenger hunt, you can spend a day exploring the banks of Lake Merritt, which includes miles of walking paths, greenspace, and a wildlife refuge. Or you could spend one of Oakland's 260 sunny days a year hiking in Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park just outside downtown Oakland. Ready to explore the Oakland area? You can also try expanding your job search to the suburbs of San Leandro, Alameda, and Berkeley.
Update Your Oakland Dispatcher Resume
If you have the skills and credentials needed for a dispatcher job, be sure to highlight them on your resume. Monster offers a wide range of resume samples and writing best practices to give you an advantage in your job search. Depending on where you apply, you may be asked to submit a cover letter along with your resume. We can help you with that as well. See our guide to writing the best cover letter and sample cover letters. Our simple and practical steps will help you effectively craft a cover letter that gets results.
How Much Do Dispatcher Jobs Pay in Oakland, California?
Got money on your mind? You should! Make sure you’re getting paid what you’re worth. Our Salary Tools can help you understand what you can expect to make in dispatcher jobs in Oakland, California, as well as the skills that can boost your value and what the next steps in your career might be. Right now, the median dispatcher pay in Oakland is $20.42 per hour, which is 19% higher than the national average.
Find Your Next Oakland Dispatcher Job. Monster Can Help Get You Started
Are you prepared for a career in dispatcher? If so, set up your profile on Monster for free and begin clicking on those dispatcher jobs. When you sign up with us, you’ll receive custom job alerts and expert advice on how to negotiate your salary in Oakland, how to nail your job interview, and more.