Still worth it?

[Burrito]

Every stage performance needs a stage crew! I love being behind the scenes.

 

[MountainsOrBeach]

Just a side note, with essentially every single service job people constantly compare regional pay to, you're gonna have unpredictable hours, and you will be lucky to get your schedule two weeks in advance, let alone two months. You won't have weekends off, you won't have most holidays off (if any), and you won't feel fulfilled working those weekends, and working those holidays - it doesn't feel like you're really helping anyone or achieving anything. You are completely replaceable and will be treated like it by both the customers and the management/ownership. There will be labor violations, and you will suck it up to keep your job. You will move to a new job, expecting better, and it will be the same thing.

That's what I mean about dispatch having insane QoL even at the entry level. I feel like some people here, even people who know we have it good, don't really quite grasp just how good. Yes, you can get an entry-level job in service work and get paid more than dispatching at a regional. You will also be miserable. It's for you to decide whether that's worth it; for me, it wasn't.

This right here… worked in restaurants and hospitality for years and dabbled in a hospital once before aviation. You’re very replaceable, and definitely feel unappreciated or unfulfilled at times. Schedule can be horrible as well as pay. I agree that people can forget just how good they have it. Sometimes the folks that are making the most are the ones wanting more and saying to be junior or to start over is not worth it… Unless you have a realtors license or something else lined up to give you that same money and freedom there can be many dead ends and struggles especially these days are out there. I have friends with degrees and tens of thousands in student debt not doing what they wanted or what they went to school for as well, and not being paid what they’re worth.

Go ask a non union person how their annual performance evaluation went and if they can expect a raise over inflation. Go ask 80% of Americans who hate their job how working 40hrs a week is going for them.

Dispatch is not only fulfilling but it allows you to work a multitude of jobs, regions, select positions and can allow you (and maybe your family) see the world. AND you're home every night.

Anyone who wants to get into dispatch should. There will always be retirements. Some majors have just cross the threshold of <50% of their dispatchers older than 50 years old. That means tons of retirements in the next 10-15 years.

Met one of our new trainees that started last fall. They worked in Skyview 8 as an accountant for us. Chose to switch teams to dispatch because the pay and schedule are far better, and they realized how many years it could take them to get the pay and benefits we get immediately. Accounting’s a great career that takes a nice college degree and experience. To do that says a lot. Also have a sibling who’s a corporate, higher up with salary pay making six figures too. But even they get a little jealous when I say I’m off another week next month, without using vacation. Granted they get to work from home and get their international trips paid for… but they’re working 5 days a week and more than 40 hrs at times. It’s all a trade off what you want.

 

[Loop7lax]

I feel the job market has changed dramatically over the last 4 years. So many employers allow their employees to work from home now which was totally unheard of a few years ago. Dx is one job that does not apply to.
But Dx is a great job with several perks, especially for those passionate about aviation and aircraft performance working behind the scenes to get the public from A to B safely. Seniority like so many said before may be the driving force for QOL. I had abnormal schedules and made it work. Just how will the job market be in 10 years where it seems like half the market works from home. Heck I noticed car manufacturers are now giving 10k mile leases/year bc work from home. It’s impacting them as well.

 

[who'swho]

I feel the job market has changed dramatically over the last 4 years. So many employers allow their employees to work from home now which was totally unheard of a few years ago. Dx is one job that does not apply to.
But Dx is a great job with several perks, especially for those passionate about aviation and aircraft performance working behind the scenes to get the public from A to B safely. Seniority like so many said before may be the driving force for QOL. I had abnormal schedules and made it work. Just how will the job market be in 10 years where it seems like half the market works from home. Heck I noticed car manufacturers are now giving 10k mile leases/year bc work from home. It’s impacting them as well.

Quite a few companies have started to jump off the WFH bandwagon. I think they are feeling the dip in productivity.

 

[bbmikej]

Quite a few companies have started to jump off the WFH bandwagon. I think they are feeling the dip in productivity.

I don't think productivity is down as much as they like to say it is. It's just them finding a better excuse than "we have a building with no one working in it and it feels wasteful to not have people in it." It is was more productive to be in the office, the people making those policies would be in the office every day.

 

[who'swho]

I don't think productivity is down as much as they like to say it is. It's just them finding a better excuse than "we have a building with no one working in it and it feels wasteful to not have people in it." It is was more productive to be in the office, the people making those policies would be in the office every day.

At my wife's job they closed the office then opened a new one halfway across the country. All new hires have to work in the office, anyone prior is still allowed to WFH.

At my current place anyone who had been approved to WFH has been told to return to the office 4 days a week.

Personally, I would never want to WFH.

 

[Mike99]

And that's assuming you stay in dispatch, and ignore all the other doors that will open to you during your career, of which there will be many.

Can you please elaborate on other opportunities that might open up to someone in dispatch along the way?

 

[Bob Ridpath]

Can you please elaborate on other opportunities that might open up to someone in dispatch along the way?

I assumed, possibly wrongly, that he may have been noting the current proliferation of jobs in many different industries/businesses which pay well and offer benefits outside of avaiiation

 

[DaWolf85]

Can you please elaborate on other opportunities that might open up to someone in dispatch along the way?

Opportunities for overrides doing more specific duties; movement into management positions like coordinator/duty manager/trainer, or even outright OCC/company leadership positions; taking on union leadership roles; or even movement to the FAA. You could also end up doing meteorology, working with charts/procedures, working in safety/security departments, etc.

And those are just the ones I know after a relatively short time doing this. I'm sure people doing it for longer, or who have moved out of dispatch to a related field, will be able to add to this list. Dispatch touches a lot of things, and some of those things will inevitably have open doors.

 

[TJ94]

Can you please elaborate on other opportunities that might open up to someone in dispatch along the way?

Crew scheduling/tracking, station ops, load planning. Those are just some of the jobs internal candidates at my major had before coming to dispatch. Heck even some people in my class had dispatching experience at a regional and then got hired at the company in another role including those I mentioned, then made the move into dispatch.

 

[Mike99]

Opportunities for overrides doing more specific duties; movement into management positions like coordinator/duty manager/trainer, or even outright OCC/company leadership positions; taking on union leadership roles; or even movement to the FAA. You could also end up doing meteorology, working with charts/procedures, working in safety/security departments, etc.

And those are just the ones I know after a relatively short time doing this. I'm sure people doing it for longer, or who have moved out of dispatch to a related field, will be able to add to this list. Dispatch touches a lot of things, and some of those things will inevitably have open doors.

Very helpful, thank you so much.

 

[Boydsj]

 

[Lemur24]

Yeah anyone who isn't happy at a Major has other issues they should be looking at. Nothing is perfect but you are unionized, make 6 figures, have unlimited non rev travel, unlimited trades and have a decent company match.

Could it be better? Sure. Everywhere could. That's what contract negotiations are for. Go ask a non union person how their annual performance evaluation went and if they can expect a raise over inflation. Go ask 80% of Americans who hate their job how working 40hrs a week is going for them.

Dispatch is not only fulfilling but it allows you to work a multitude of jobs, regions, select positions and can allow you (and maybe your family) see the world. AND you're home every night.

Anyone who wants to get into dispatch should. There will always be retirements. Some majors have just cross the threshold of <50% of their dispatchers older than 50 years old. That means tons of retirements in the next 10-15 years.

I agree with this, not at a major yet but in Cargo. It can always be worse, pay is good & I can travel whenever on my own terms. Perks out weigh the negatives most of the time.

 

[Yurie158]

All I can say is working at my current major is the best job I had and without a doubt leagues better than any of the previous shops I been at. Things could obviously be better but I can't complain when layoffs are happening and I'm treated relatively well

 

[iono]

quality of life at the regional level is pretty bad, it gets a little better at an LLC, and i can't believe how much money i'm being paid at my major. but even at the regional level, i still preferred dispatching over any job i've had previously. the schedules at most airlines is nice, having 3, 4, or even 5 days off at a time. that plus the ability to trade shifts freely can open up some serious time off. my wife, working the standard 5-2, envies my schedule. with all that time off you can travel the world, or work a second job if you're at a regional D:

 

[victor320]

quality of life at the regional level is pretty bad, it gets a little better at an LLC, and i can't believe how much money i'm being paid at my major. but even at the regional level, i still preferred dispatching over any job i've had previously. the schedules at most airlines is nice, having 3, 4, or even 5 days off at a time. that plus the ability to trade shifts freely can open up some serious time off. my wife, working the standard 5-2, envies my schedule. with all that time off you can travel the world, or work a second job if you're at a regional D:

How much is your paycheck without OT?

 

[Bobber]

Base paycheck at like 20/hr islike 1200/mo* Depending on your deductions and such.

 

[MountainsOrBeach]

How much is your paycheck without OT?

Coming from someone junior at a major the average check without OT, after taxes and claiming single and 0 deductions, and after medical etc, single check is $3000. Picked up two days OT, one at time and half and next at double time and check was $4300 after everything. That’s someone with little over 1 year seniority. So someone with 3, 5 and 10 year pay is far more. Renegotiate every 3 years, pay goes up. Also no state income tax in TX is a bonus.

 

[I Like IKE]

Coming from someone junior at a major the average check without OT, after taxes and claiming single and 0 deductions, and after medical etc, single check is $3000. Picked up two days OT, one at time and half and next at double time and check was $4300 after everything. That’s someone with little over 1 year seniority. So someone with 3, 5 and 10 year pay is far more. Renegotiate every 3 years, pay goes up. Also no state income tax in TX is a bonus.

I'm at the same major (based on the details.) April will be 2 years for me. Last year I had only 1 hour of OT (for the time change) and ended with $111k for the year. $6000 of that was the contract extension signing bonus.

 

[form810]

Given the slow down in hiring, would you still recommend dispatching as a career? What is an estimated timeline for getting to a major? What are realistic expectations for a first job?

No.

Grow food.

Teach children.

Heal the ill.

Build shelter.

Wire a circuit.

Plumb a toilet.

...

Useful work is... well, useful. And VERY rewarding.