banjoface9004

I too am a licensed aircraft dispatcher. I have a degree in Aviation Management, and 10+ years of experience in Airline Ops, fuel logistics, and flight planning.

This post is quite inaccurate from my viewpoint, and sounds like it is written by a recruiter. The work is very stressful, the hours are often long and abnormal. The pay is AWFUL - but this is a common trend in aviation. If you are seriously considering this line of work, research into job postings on Linkedin or Indeed. This is very much a <$50,000 / year career for the first 10 years. You'd be lucky to break $100,000 at any point in your career. The best move I ever made was to leave dispatching, but I will also admit that experienced gained has been invaluable for other positions. My Dispatch License is worth its weight in gold, but the career path is not a good one.

The course to get your license is no joke. Not impossible, obviously, but it was much harder than anything I did in college. $6-9k is a realistic cost estimate. I completed the course through Jeppesen's online course. The people who came from outside the industry struggled greatly, and we had 6 dropouts from our 18 person course. Of the remaining 12, 3 had to retake their FAA exam. The exam consists of a written test which is basically memorizing 2,000 questions of mostly useless trivia. The real PITA was the Oral and Practical exam. This is 1 on 1 with an FAA examiner, and it was an absolutely brutal 6 hours of my life. Not impossible, but I do agree with the notion that this course isn't something you're going to easily do in your free time.

You only get somewhere with a lot of seniority, and it is very slow to accrue. This industry tends to attract "lifers" who are in it for the love of the industry. The work is absolutely fascinating - I love flight planning, logistics, and working through emergencies. That being said, it is a math dominant line of work. Time math, fuel burns, weight calculations; I estimate 80% math. In my opinion, you have to be quite smart to succeed. Moving up almost, almost always = moving to a new city. I've moved 4 times already for my aviation career, and highly anticipate another one before the end of next year. You have to move. You won't get paid to move.

As it is recognized in Aviation as a headache of a career path, many regional airlines are continuously hiring Aircraft Dispatchers. A dispatch job at, let's say Frontier Airlines, would require a move to Denver, dedicated night work until your seniority allowed better placement on the schedule (my guess, 2 years), $16-18/hour, poor benefits, standby flight perks, and a 180 day probationary period. You'll probably clear $50k annually, but that'll be due to forced overtime. Speaking of forced OT - as you will learn while obtaining your license, someone legally has to watch the flight. Your major job responsibility is preparing a dispatch release, and legally signing your name to it. Next shift doesn't show up on time and your name is on the paperwork? You could be there awhile, or face actual civil penalties for leaving.

The career path sucks. DM me for more questions. The license is WONDERFUL to have if you're not a pilot and motivated for a career in Aviation.

I never did move to a major, you are correct. Different opportunities presented themselves to me in the industry, and I took them. I wasn't about to wait years for minor improvements.
I should also add that I have the utmost respect for Aircraft Dispatchers. They are absolute unsung heroes in the industry. I don't know you, but I know that if you've moved up to a major in dispatch, that you're likely really intelligent, and know your stuff. This isn't a lucrative industry, so I'm genuinely stoked for you.

I also felt your job is very much an exception, an absolute GOAT of a job, but it sets an unrealistic expectation for the career. Glassdoor shows $40k as pretty average, with the highest salaries reported at a few majors at $100-110k, but averages still around $70k.

For those unfamiliar with the gig, just google if aircraft dispatching is stressful. Don't take my word for it. That was my biggest reason for commenting. I've never heard from someone before today that it was low stress.

Then and now, I viewed it as a jumping off point for my non-pilot aviation career. I couldn't imagine doing it again, though.

Again, however, that license has been worth its weight in gold. For a non-pilot, it is basically a certification in "I know what I'm talking about."

I think it could be a good entry level path with career opportunities for those who enjoy it. I just wouldn't describe it as lucrative, cushy, or stable.

I view the ADX license as qualification that the holder probably knows what they're talking about, especially if you're getting into any PT121 or 135 lines of work.

My license goes right next to my degree on my resume. I'd say it is almost as valuable...almost.