Air Traffic Controllers
Overview
Introduction
Air traffic controllers monitor and direct aircraft activities into and out of airports and along specified flight routes. They radio pilots with approach, landing, taxiing, and takeoff instructions, as well as advisories on weather and other conditions. These reports help maintain the safe and orderly flow of air traffic in the air and on the ground. There are approximately 22,310 air traffic controllers employed in the United States.
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
Air traffic control trainees start at the FG-1/2 level, which paid $25,038 to $36,306 annually in 2024. This pay level increases as workers gain experience and meet training goals. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, air traffic controllers had median annual earnings of $137,380 in May 2023. The lowest-paid 10 percent earned less than $76,190, and the highest-paid 10 percent earned more ...
Work Environment
Air traffic controllers are required to remain constantly alert and focused while performing a large number of simultaneous duties. They must keep track of several aircraft approaching, departing, and passing through the airspace under their control while receiving flight data from and giving instructions to several pilots at once. They must remain alert to weather and airport conditions change...
Outlook
Employment for air traffic controllers is expected to grow at a rate that is slower than the average for all occupations through 2032, showing little or no change, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Competition for air traffic control positions will be strong, and implementing the NextGen satellite-based system is expected to increase controllers ability to manage even more air traffic ...
