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Air Traffic Controller

Types of Degrees Air Traffic Controller Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Air Traffic Controller may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	100
Bachelor’s Degree	56
Master’s Degree	33

What Air Traffic Controller Majors Need to Know

Programs in Air Traffic Controller emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Air Traffic Controller graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Air Traffic Controller emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Public Safety and Security — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Transportation — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Air Traffic Controller program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Coordination — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Air Traffic Controller careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Air Traffic Controller graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.5 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.2 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.2 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Air Traffic Controller professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Parking access revenue control system	Data base user interface and query software	—
Intuit QuickBooks	Accounting software	—
Aircraft noise monitoring system software	Data base user interface and query software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Air Traffic Controller graduates include:

• Airline Dispatcher
• Flight Operations Agent
• Airfield Services Officer
• Airport Agent
• Airport Operations Coordinator
• Aviation Operations Specialist
• Airport Operations Agent
• Airport Ramp Agent
• Flight Operations Planner
• Ramp Agent
• Airport Operations Crew Member
• Airport Security Officer
• Operations Specialist
• Operations Officer
• Airport Operations Specialist

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Air Traffic Controller graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	41.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	34.5%
Some college courses	11.9%
Postsecondary certificate	6.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.8%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.6%
Less than a high school diploma	0.4%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Air Traffic Controller?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 76.2% of Air Traffic Controller degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	45	23.8%
Men	144	76.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Air Traffic Controller graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	103	54.5%
Asian	7	3.7%
Hispanic or Latino	33	17.5%
Black or African American	13	6.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	1.1%
Two or More Races	10	5.3%
Race Unknown	4	2.1%
International Students	17	9.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Air Traffic Controller Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Air Traffic Controller graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$54,735
4 years	$69,369
5 years	$80,156

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $80,156 — roughly 46% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Air Traffic Controller Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Air Traffic Controller graduates earn a median of $69,369 four years after completion — roughly 83% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Air Transportation	49.01
Aeronautics/Aviation/Aerospace Science and Technology, General	49.0101
Air Transportation, Other	49.0199
Airline Flight Attendant	49.0106
Airline/Commercial/Professional Pilot and Flight Crew	49.0102
Aviation/Airway Management and Operations	49.0104
Flight Instructor	49.0108
Remote Aircraft Pilot	49.0109

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.