OSCA 599936

Radio Dispatcher

Overview

  • Employed persons

    4,800

  • Employment status

    80.5% Full time

    19.5% Part time

  • Median age

    40 years

  • Employment by sex

    52.1% Female

    47.8% Male

    Gender balanced

  • Indigenous employment share

    2.2%

  • Main employing industry

    Public Administration and Safety

Indicator Radio Dispatcher Total employment
Employed persons 4,800 12,049,400
Median age 40 years 40 years
Full-time share 80.5% 64.2%
Part-time share 19.5% 35.8%
Female employment share 52.1% 48.5%
Male employment share 47.8% 51.5%
Gender segregation intensity scale Gender balanced Gender balanced
Indigenous employment share 2.2% 2.2%
Main employing industry Public Administration and Safety Health Care and Social Assistance
Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

Occupation overview

Radio Dispatchers provide radio and communication services for the coordination of operational units in transport, courier, emergency, security, rescue and road service organisations.

What the occupation involves

  • Receives and relays radio or telecommunications messages from operational units, customers or the public
  • Coordinates communications between operational units
  • Records critical information from emergency, routine and administrative calls
  • Relays information to enable appropriate resources and personnel to be deployed
  • Maintains communication and provides guidance to callers during emergency situations

Common occupation titles

  • Communications Controller
  • Control Room Operator

Specialisations

No specialisations are listed for this occupation.

Skill level (education and experience level)

Skill level 4
equivalent to a lower‑level Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification (Certificate II or III).

Note: While skill levels are described using formal education levels, some people use a combination of informal learning, on-the-job training and personal experience to achieve an equivalent level.

Licensing or registration requirements

Registration or licensing may be required.

OSCA structure

Employment

On this page

    Industries

    Top 10 most common industries, 2021

    Radio Dispatcher Total employment
    Industry Share of occupation Industry Share of occupation
    Public Administration and Safety 32.6% Health Care and Social Assistance 14.5%
    Health Care and Social Assistance 24.9% Retail Trade 9.1%
    Information Media and Telecommunications 14.0% Construction 8.9%
    Mining 7.0% Education and Training 8.8%
    Transport, Postal and Warehousing 5.4% Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 7.8%
    Manufacturing 3.7% Public Administration and Safety 6.6%
    Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services 2.4% Accommodation and Food Services 6.5%
    Construction 1.3% Manufacturing 5.9%
    Other Services 1.3% Transport, Postal and Warehousing 4.5%
    Administrative and Support Services 1.0% Financial and Insurance Services 3.7%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    States and territories

    Employment distribution by states and territories, 2021

    • New South Wales

      25.3%

    • Victoria

      26.9%

    • Queensland

      24.2%

    • South Australia

      6.5%

    • Tasmania

      3.2%

    • Northern Territory

      1.8%

    • Australian Capital Territory

      1.2%

    Radio Dispatcher Total employment
    State / Territory Employment Share of occupation Employment Share of occupation
    New South Wales 1,200 25.3% 3,684,200 30.6%
    Victoria 1,300 26.9% 3,162,900 26.2%
    Queensland 1,200 24.2% 2,444,100 20.3%
    South Australia 310 6.5% 839,400 7.0%
    Western Australia 530 11.0% 1,306,200 10.8%
    Tasmania 150 3.2% 254,700 2.1%
    Northern Territory 90 1.8% 107,000 0.9%
    Australian Capital Territory 60 1.2% 248,600 2.1%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    Age and sex

    Employment distibution by age group and sex, 2021

    Radio Dispatcher

    Total employment

    Age group Radio Dispatcher Total employment
    15–24 years 6.4% 14.3%
    25–34 years 28.3% 22.7%
    35–44 years 23.7% 22.3%
    45–54 years 24.9% 20.4%
    55–64 years 14.1% 15.3%
    65–74 years 2.5% 4.3%
    75 years and over 0.1% 0.6%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.
    Sex Radio Dispatcher Total employment
    Female 52.1% 48.5%
    Male 47.8% 51.5%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    On this page

      OSCA occupation profiles data

      This file contains data available from the OSCA Occupation Profile page.

      Use of this data must include the relevant attribution text provided.

      OSCA Occupation data - 2021 Census.xlsx

      xlsx 1236447

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      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA)

      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA) is the skill-based classification used to categorise occupations across the Australian labour market. OSCA is used to define occupations across all official occupational statistics. OSCA replaces the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO).

      Each job is classified to one, and only one, group of jobs at each level of the classification with no overlaps. This prevents the accidental double-counting of roles within the Australian labour market. For more information about OSCA, visit the What is OSCA information page, or the ABS website.

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