Turn over rate or being burned out as a Dispatcher

Bob Wilson

Well-Known Member
Hi All,

I have a simple question for everyone? Is there a high turnover rate as Dispatcher with mainline carriers or even regional? What about feeling burned out after 5-10 years as a dispatcher?

This is an open question, so I am open to all answers.
 
Regional: Yes to high turnover rates, but it's usually people leaving for better jobs, not leaving the industry altogether.

Cargo: Never worked in that field so can't say for sure.

Major: No. Pay/schedule is usually very good at majors, so although there is normal attrition from retirements, I've never seen someone leave just due to being "burned out."
 
Hi All,

I have a simple question for everyone? Is there a high turnover rate as Dispatcher with mainline carriers or even regional? What about feeling burned out after 5-10 years as a dispatcher?

This is an open question, so I am open to all answers.

I started my career at a small supplemental cargo carrier. Turnover wasn't super crazy, as most were "lifers" who were planted in the local area.

I'm at a major cargo carrier now, and virtually no one leaves unless they die or retire.

Either way, people never seem to leave for burnout. The industry is a game of seniority. The longer you are in somewhere, the better it gets, and harder it is to give up.
 
Having been at my major (NYC based) for 5+ years, I haven't witnessed any attrition due to burnout. Dispatching is generally routine with some IROP days sprinkled in which can suck, really suck. With that said, despite the sucky days (especially during the summer), it's very hard to leave the QOL, pay, and benefits behind. Also as Atc89 mentioned, the higher seniority you have, the better the QOL, pay, benefits (think PTO) becomes.

YMMV
 
I believe you can burn yourself out if you want to. Generally, the schedule lends itself to plenty of days off, but if OT is flowing, it is possible to over-do it. My strategy has been to go hard for a month or two, then settle down for a month. It is definitely easy to forget how many days in a row or days in a month you've worked if you're chasing OT. For those who work just their 4 on, 4 off, it is a chill job 95% of the time.
 
I believe you can burn yourself out if you want to. Generally, the schedule lends itself to plenty of days off, but if OT is flowing, it is possible to over-do it. My strategy has been to go hard for a month or two, then settle down for a month. It is definitely easy to forget how many days in a row or days in a month you've worked if you're chasing OT. For those who work just their 4 on, 4 off, it is a chill job 95% of the time.
Especially if people routinely do 8 on 6 off with mismatching start times, or even worse 11 of 12 days on...
 
In my experience, the burnout is huge at regionals. Making less than 20 dollars an hour, I found that I had to work at least 3-4 OT days a month to even try to make ends meet, especially with student loans. I was averaging 50+ hours a week for months at a time. I got on at a major and got completely burnt out during training because I was doing split weeks in OJT where the first half was a morning and the second half was an overnight. Repeat for 3 months.
 
Hi All,

I have a simple question for everyone? Is there a high turnover rate as Dispatcher with mainline carriers or even regional? What about feeling burned out after 5-10 years as a dispatcher?

This is an open question, so I am open to all answers.
I found doing the same releases day in and day out got boring. After about 3 years I'd had enough. Then a new, and somewhat unusual, opportunity came along, and I found that much more aligned with my sensibilities. It's been 4 years, and it's just as interesting as the day I started.
 
As most have said burnout is much more limited to regional airlines. I could definitely see getting burned out at a mid-tier or even major if you were stuck with low seniority for an extended period of time. Especially because I think some majors have pretty poor junior man rules and some places only hire 1-3 people per year.

There’d be nothing more frustrating than a 5 year guy thinking he’s safe from the dreaded Junior Man process only to go through a period of it again.
 
There's a good thread from a few years ago regarding burnout that I suggest you check out. There are some quality responses in there (at least in the beginning...). Link

As most have said burnout is much more limited to regional airlines. I could definitely see getting burned out at a mid-tier or even major if you were stuck with low seniority for an extended period of time. Especially because I think some majors have pretty poor junior man rules and some places only hire 1-3 people per year.

There’d be nothing more frustrating than a 5 year guy thinking he’s safe from the dreaded Junior Man process only to go through a period of it again.

Sounds like an airline I know of where your schedule is completely made up each month and changed on a whim until you claw yourself out of the bottom fifth of the (long) seniority list. Which can take years.
 
What I have seen is no one leaves a major airlines unless they retire, by choice or for medical reason.
Some Dispatchers change desk, positions or quals when they are getting to burn out point.
Such as working Europe or Latin American, working coord desk or go into the training dept.
Most Dispatcher can not make the type of money nor get schedules we have in any other job.

Some just get bitter and angry but still keep working.
 
Since starting at my dispatch job last spring, 12 people have either left or retired from dispatch. It's not good here, folks. We have 800-1000+ flights a day with only 40-45 dispatchers and they only want to hire a max of 55. It's a release sweat shop to put in lightly, and might I say unsafe?

I know the question was more directed for Mainline/regional 121 carriers, but it's a big problem for the company I work for. I don't know how other private aviation companies are doing, but I hear good things. I have to hold out here another year so I don't owe relocation assistance back. After that, I am coming to the 121 world... even if that means taking a pay cut.
 
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I have to hold out here another year so I don't owe relocation assistance back. After that, I am coming to the 121 world... even if that means taking a pay cut.

Wow, three years seems like a long time. Is it overseas or something? The last place I went that provided a paid move only required one year before not owing anything.
 
Since starting at the largest private jet provider in the world last spring, 12 people have either left or retired from dispatch. It's not good here, folks. We have 800-1000+ flights a day with only 40-45 dispatchers and they only want to hire a max of 55. It's a release sweat shop to put in lightly, and might I say unsafe?

I know the question was more directed for Mainline/regional 121 carriers, but it's a big problem for the company I work for. I don't know how other private aviation companies are doing, but I hear good things. I have to hold out here another year so I don't owe relocation assistance back. After that, I am coming to the 121 world... even if that means taking a pay cut.
If you can get on at a major it would likely be worth it to leave early
 
Giving a list of problems at the company you work for and disclosing any details that could be used to figure out who you are is not a very smart idea.
Fair point... On the contrary, I want people to know that they shouldn't give this place a look in it's current state.
 
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