Air Traffic Controllers: Career Overview
Control air traffic on and within vicinity of airport, and movement of air traffic between altitude sectors and control centers, according to established procedures and policies. Authorize, regulate, and control commercial airline flights according to government or company regulations to expedite and ensure flight safety.
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What Tasks Do Air Traffic Controllers Take On?
The day-to-day responsibilities of air traffic controllers span:
- Inform pilots about nearby planes or potentially hazardous conditions, such as weather, speed and direction of wind, or visibility problems.
- Issue landing and take-off authorizations or instructions.
- Transfer control of departing flights to traffic control centers and accept control of arriving flights.
- Provide flight path changes or directions to emergency landing fields for pilots traveling in bad weather or in emergency situations.
- Alert airport emergency services in cases of emergency or when aircraft are experiencing difficulties.
- Monitor or direct the movement of aircraft within an assigned air space or on the ground at airports to minimize delays and maximize safety.
- Direct pilots to runways when space is available or direct them to maintain a traffic pattern until there is space for them to land.
- Monitor aircraft within a specific airspace, using radar, computer equipment, or visual references.
What Air Traffic Controllers Need to Know
Effective air traffic controllers draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Access Control Specialist
- Air Route Controller
- Air Route Traffic Controller
- Air Traffic Control Operator
- Air Traffic Control Specialist (ATCS)
- Air Traffic Control Support Specialist (ATC Support Specialist)
- Air Traffic Controller (ATC)
- Air Traffic Coordinator
Employment and Demand
There are roughly 502,845 air traffic controllers working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +1.9% over the projection horizon.
Air Traffic Controllers Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $46,187 |
| Hourly median | $22.21 |
| 10th percentile | $29,247 |
| 25th percentile | $37,717 |
| 75th percentile | $54,656 |
| 90th percentile | $63,126 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Virginia | $185,890 |
| Minnesota | $176,030 |
| Illinois | $175,090 |
| Georgia | $174,600 |
| Colorado | $172,310 |
| Texas | $167,710 |
| Washington | $164,070 |
| Kansas | $156,620 |
| Utah | $156,120 |
| Indiana | $155,790 |
| Tennessee | $153,670 |
| California | $152,010 |
| Nevada | $147,700 |
| New Mexico | $145,290 |
| Florida | $144,710 |
| New York | $142,190 |
| Hawaii | $142,040 |
| New Jersey | $135,470 |
| Arizona | $130,960 |
| Pennsylvania | $129,310 |
| Kentucky | $126,550 |
| Rhode Island | $123,610 |
| Connecticut | $121,910 |
| Oklahoma | $121,580 |
| North Dakota | $121,470 |
| North Carolina | $120,580 |
| Alaska | $120,370 |
| Puerto Rico | $119,560 |
| Idaho | $117,150 |
| Missouri | $115,440 |
| Maryland | $114,620 |
| Michigan | $113,650 |
| Oregon | $113,030 |
| Alabama | $112,740 |
| Nebraska | $108,990 |
| Guam | $108,200 |
| South Carolina | $107,330 |
| Wisconsin | $106,750 |
| Massachusetts | $103,230 |
| Louisiana | $99,670 |
| Arkansas | $99,490 |
| South Dakota | $98,530 |
| Iowa | $95,200 |
| Mississippi | $91,480 |
| Wyoming | $89,650 |
| West Virginia | $86,390 |
| District of Columbia | $35,940 |
Where Air Traffic Controllers Earn the Most
Compensation for air traffic controllers shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Mountains | $162,324 | 5.8% | 1.64 |
| Southwest | $156,557 | 14.1% | 1.20 |
| Great Lakes | $154,117 | 10.1% | 1.05 |
| Plains States | $148,828 | 7.4% | 1.33 |
| Southeast | $148,525 | 29.7% | 1.29 |
| Far Western US | $147,299 | 18.7% | 2.23 |
| Other U.S. Territories | $116,720 | 0.8% | 1.79 |
| New England | $112,536 | 1.2% | 0.33 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $192,500 | 240 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $188,930 | 420 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | IL | $184,930 | 840 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | TX | $182,890 | 780 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | GA | $182,310 | 820 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | PA | $181,200 | 190 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $180,090 | 1,090 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | MN | $178,920 | 580 |
Top Industries Employing Air Traffic Controllers
The bulk of air traffic controllers work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing | 1,730 | $82,400 |
| Educational Services | 120 | $61,100 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 70 | $164,370 |
Below are examples of industries where air traffic controllers work:
Software Air Traffic Controllers Use
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
Daily working conditions for air traffic controllers reflects the following characteristics:
- Frequency of Decision Making
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
Education and Training
Typical air traffic controllers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (Supplemental)
- Public Safety Telecommunicators (Primary-Long)
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance (Primary-Long)
- Avionics Technicians (Supplemental)
- Power Distributors and Dispatchers (Supplemental)
- Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors (Primary-Short)
- First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators (Supplemental)
- First-Line Supervisors of Passenger Attendants (Supplemental)
Degree Programs
Students preparing for air traffic controllers often complete programs in:
Transportation and Materials Moving
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 53-2021.00 (Air Traffic Controllers).
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