+52 votes
by (600 points)
Ok so I need some advice - Im a single mom and currently a 911 dispatcher. I make decent money. Currently living in South FL and with my parents because A- expensive and B- it makes sense with my schedule. I am wanting to look into buying and would love to move to the mountains one day. Problem is with my career field. Whenever I look at other agencies (up north), they pay is almost half of what I make now. I know cost of living may be less, but being a single mom I know I need to make at minimum $60k to be safe. So my question is - what schooling/course should I look into where I am likely to make $60k? *minimal schooling as well. Something that I can make get done in a year or two if possible. Hope this made sense lol
Ok so I need some advice - Im a single mom and currently a 911 dispatcher.

34 Answers

+31 votes
by (2.7k points)
If you are a hustler Real Estate
by (600 points)
@decoupage agh i love real estate however it’s so saturated. I know probably 20 realtors lol
by (1.1k points)
@hyde1851 agree with this, and with being a single mom you would have to find someone to watch your child at the drop of a hat.  
+7 votes
by (4.4k points)
Google cost of living calculator and you can put in where you live now, where you are moving and your income. It will tell you what you need to make there to maintain your standard of living.  
by (600 points)
@clearwing i didn’t know this was a thing and i love it. However idk if it’d completely accurate lol
by (4.4k points)
@hyde1851 we have made a few big moves and it was pretty close for us.  
by (270 points)
@clearwing yep I use this too. It works well.  
+47 votes
by (2.7k points)
Do you work for a Sheriff's Office ?  
by (600 points)
@canteen local police department.  
by (2.7k points)
Gotcha , Have you looked into your local Sheriffs Office and viewed their list of "civilian jobs"? There are so many jobs within a Sheriff's Office that might interest you. Your foot is already in the door with the PD so switching to the SO (even if it's a diff position) should be a fairly easier transition for you. Just a thought. I'm a LEO so thats the advice I can provide with employment options. Best of luck with everything.  
by (600 points)
@canteen yeah I’m happy with my job now. Just to stay in this career field moving to another state, the pay drastically changes. Even the next city over starting pay is almost $15k less than the city i work for. Looking to see if i need to start taking classes lol. I’ll definitely look into civilian jobs as well. Thank you!  
+25 votes
by (6k points)
What would a manager in your field make?  
by (600 points)
@lean assist manager at my current place makes between $58-90k, manager $70-109k. But you need a Bachelors degree
+19 votes
by (950 points)
Good luck I make only 35k and went to school for my profession but I dont live in the city where they do make more
by (950 points)
Medical assistant
+47 votes
by (920 points)
When I was dispatching, I looked into a communications degree, or Business. Emergency Management would be another good choice. In terms of career progression, if you want to stay close to the mic, the chain of command is a good option. If you want to stay in the center, Emergency Management is a really good option. That is what I was going for until I got burned out and went to nursing.  
by (920 points)
I miss being on the radio some days! Others, not so much! Keep on keeping 'em safe!  
by (600 points)
@virtuosity3 burnout is reallll
by (920 points)
@hyde1851 especially in dispatch! But the good times are really good. I miss it now, but love my new career.  
by (3k points)
@hyde1851 it certainly is! I’ve been doing it 31 years. We do regular police and fire plus 911
+19 votes
by (770 points)
Come to Fairbanks Alaska to be a Dispatcher  
+4 votes
by (3.5k points)
Nursing is always a safe pick. You can get your RN with an associates. So at least 2 years school, but with pre classes probably 2. 5-3 years  But you’ll always be able find a job and pay is usually pretty good anywhere you go relative to cost of living for the area ‍♀️
by (490 points)
@facile33 very true! I never have trouble finding a job!  
by (600 points)
This is where I need to put on my big girl panties. lol I am not good with blood
by (3.5k points)
@hyde1851 Hahahaha I hear you. I’m great with blood. But vomit   it’s hardest for me! I’ve gotten much better, and when I’m working I can push past it mentally. At home it’s someone else’s job though  
+1 vote
by (9.6k points)
Is dispatching difficult? I just saw an ad for a highway patrol dispatcher in my area, with great pay, but I'm not sure if I could do it.  
by (600 points)
Ive been doing it for 8 years and I dont think its difficult. BUT at the same time its definitely not for everyone. Call into the PD and see if you can sit in to see if you may like it
by (3k points)
@nitrate47 it’s not real difficult. You need to be able to handle stressful situations calmly and multi task big time. It isn’t for everyone. You need kinda thick skin
+9 votes
by (8.2k points)
Police Officer Our agencies in the area dont require a degree and pay well Plus most agencies have a very generous signing bonus
by (600 points)
Ugh i have debated when I see what they can make -- however idk how they do it with everyone recording them these days
by (8.2k points)
@hyde1851 My husband hasnt had that issue. :) when you consider every officer interaction every day across the country - the chance of something blowing up in your face are pretty low  
by (600 points)
@holland Oh definitely, i just know this face and my expressions will get me into something lol. But really, I have debated on it. Idk if thats for me though
by (8.2k points)
@hyde1851 its not for me! Hahaha I would suck.  
+4 votes
by (1.5k points)
Dental hygienist if you work full-time. takes an associates degree
+42 votes
by (810 points)
Nursing ADN program
0 votes
by (860 points)
I'm a nurse, there is always stability in that job!  
+22 votes
by (6.5k points)
I agree with Dental Hygienist
+18 votes
by (780 points)
Lol whatever you do . do not move to upstate NY although our mountains are beautiful
by (600 points)
If I had my own places I'd say lets swap houses for a week lol
by (970 points)
@bookseller so true about upstate.!  
+31 votes
by (1.3k points)
Wow I'm a dispatcher in maryland and I make 40-45k a year single mom on my own. Super jealous of the 60k lol. I know cost of living is different but I can still be numbers jealous lol.  
by (600 points)
@exasperate Thompson i figured if it gonna have my own place and be able to afford to live I’ll need that
+3 votes
by (2.7k points)
When you say the mountains, what area are you thinking about?  
by (600 points)
@quass egh probably eastern US. Georgia, Tennessee. I’m born and raised Floridian, Id love it but not sure i could handle a real winter  
by (2.7k points)
@hyde1851 I ask because I grew up in the PNW (Pacific Northwest) Seattle area, but I do know that you could probably continue doing what you're doing at the same kind of salary in the mountain areas of Washington. It's so freakin' gorgeous! I now live right outside of Nashville and while the Smokies are cute, the Cascades are LIFE! Lol  Good luck tho! Because I'm telling ya once you live where you see mountains daily and then leave, it really sucks! Lol  
+7 votes
by (10.1k points)
My husband is LEO, I would look into law and criminal justice and start trying to get your foot in the door on the federal level it can take 12+ months depending on what your interests are.  
+18 votes
by (1.6k points)
RN or court reporter!  
+2 votes
by (740 points)
What do Medical Coders make?  
by (4.5k points)
I was making 50k a year when I was doing medical coding. but you can make up to six figures with tons of credentials.  
by (2k points)
@loritalorn55 well. Looks like I need a career change
by (4.5k points)
@helot Lol it was fun and it’s something after years i can do from home
by (2k points)
@loritalorn55 I like data entry and already work in a medical field. Seems up my alley
by (4.5k points)
@helot oooooooo yessss u should look into. I loved it that. We have a brand new hospital being built around the corner from my house I’m gonna try and see if I can get into the billing department  
+6 votes
by (6.6k points)
You could look in western North Carolina, especially the smaller towns, they are up and coming, but more affordable.  
+18 votes
by (720 points)
My sister lives in Marietta GA and you can get a house for half the cost. So even if you make less your overall expenses will be less. So you will still be spending a certain percentage of your paycheck on food and bills. The amount of actual dollars will be different but the percentage allocated to bills will be the same
+30 votes
by (720 points)
Also if you buy a house w a basement you can rent out the basement for extra income
+10 votes
by (2.6k points)
You want to move to the mountains? Consider Tennessee. No income tax just like Florida and low cost of living. Consider moving to Chattanooga. Close to Atlanta for direct flights for family in south Florida. Or East Tn for bigger mountains. But are you sure you want to live away from family with a child? It might be hard not having a network to help you out.  
+21 votes
by (16k points)
Cyber Security Analyst they make $$$$
by (11.6k points)
What Thanksshaun said! or a business analyst. Vanderbilt offers online 24 week certificates that train you for these and another field. You'd have the skills needed to transfer industries. I'd love to be 911 dispatch (it's only 40K here), but I can't afford it with what I need to make and what my current outlay is.  
by (1.4k points)
@carminecarmita can you elaborate on the certificate thing?  
by (11.6k points)
@yung8  This explains the 3 in details. There are 12 and 24 wk in class or online options. You're either in class 3 days a week with a blackboard like 24/7 feature or online with 1 mandatory class night and 1 optional class night plus the same 24/7 access and more group collab rather than individual work. At the end, you walk away with a portfolio of work and a certificate of completion in your chosen bootcamp field. The one I looked at was 10K, so I'm going to have to wait a year.  
https://bootcamps.vanderbilt.edu/
+23 votes
by (11.6k points)
I'm an executive assistant; no formal training. Near the mountains. I make 65K plus bonuses; your skillset translates (I know because I made the same jump with no formal experience; i just had to get creative with my resume and show the admin, project management, and prioritization work I'd been doing in the call center. )
+31 votes
by (4.4k points)
I’d look at something in the trades. Being a Journeyman anything is money in the bank. Everyone needs plumbers, electricians, etc.  
+44 votes
by (3.6k points)
I work in healthcare (pharmacist) and lots of friends/colleagues are doing fairly quick programs for ultrasound tech, respiratory therapist or PTA. Dental hygienists make good money too!  
+26 votes
by (2.9k points)
Firefighter or paramedic
+8 votes
by (1.2k points)
What about an online business - check out Project Life Mastery in YouTube
+22 votes
by (810 points)
Hey girl, I’m a 911 dispatcher up in the Boston area and I’m not making $60, 000 and my agency pays well for places around here. NH won’t pay $60k unfortunately  trust me, I wish agencies up here did too
+32 votes
by (3k points)
I do not have advice. I just wanted to say thank you as a Police Wife for being a dispatcher. Dispatchers are their life line when they are on the streets. My husband was assaulted a year ago and as he was fighting with the guy his ear piece came out but he thought his radio had been damaged in the fight. That caused some trauma for him after the fact thinking no one was coming to help and there was a bunch of men standing around that were friends of the guy not knowing if they were going to join in the assault. Of course all his coworkers could hear what was going on and dispatch and help arrived after 13 mins. Thank you for all you do!  
+7 votes
by (1.1k points)
I have been wanting to apply to be a 911 dispatcher on nights but i never see it being advertised. Are there ever job openings? I could really use a second job.  
+41 votes
by (1.1k points)
Sorry that my comment doesn't answer your question but I agree with Sarah. Paralegal
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