How much does an Air Traffic Controller make?

Updated Nov 24, 2023

Experience

Industry

Total Pay Range
$64K - $115K/yr
Base Pay
$60K - $106K/yr
Additional Pay
$5K - $9K/yr

$86K

/yr
$64K$115K
Most Likely Range

The estimated total pay for a Air Traffic Controller is $85,583 per year in the United States area, with an average salary of $79,446 per year. These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated additional pay is $6,137 per year. Additional pay could include cash bonus, commission, tips, and profit sharing. The "Most Likely Range" represents values that exist within the 25th and 75th percentile of all pay data available for this role.

How accurate is this most likely Total Pay range (base + additional) of $64K-$115K/yr?

Top Paying Companies

For an Air Traffic Controller in United States

Below is the total pay for the top 10 highest paying companies for an Air Traffic Controller in United States. Employers include FAA, U.S. Department of Transportation and Robinson Aviation.

1
FAA
FAA
$104,650/yr
89 open jobs
3
$94,404/yr
4
DOD
$92,887/yr
See pay for all companies for an Air Traffic Controller in United StatesView data as table

Top Paying Companies

For Air Traffic Controller in United States

1FAA$104,650
2U.S. Department of Transportation$96,556
3Robinson Aviation$94,404
4DOD$92,887
5United States Federal Government$91,243
6US Air Force$88,577
7US Navy$88,120
8US Department of Defense$86,201
9US Marine Corps$85,789
10US Army$85,592

What are total pay estimates for an Air Traffic Controller at different companies?

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Sort:
Company
Jobs
Total Pay Range
US Army
3.8
Air Traffic ControllerSee 558 salaries from all locations

$85,592

 / yr
FAA
3.9
Air Traffic ControllerSee 289 salaries from all locations

$104,650

 / yr
US Air Force
4.1
Air Traffic ControllerSee 121 salaries from all locations

$88,577

 / yr
US Navy
3.7
Air Traffic ControllerSee 97 salaries from all locations

$88,120

 / yr
US Marine Corps
3.9
Air Traffic ControllerSee 28 salaries from all locations

$85,789

 / yr
US Department of Defense
4
Air Traffic ControllerSee 17 salaries from all locations

$86,201

 / yr
U.S. Department of Transportation
4.3
Air Traffic ControllerSee 13 salaries from all locations

$96,556

 / yr

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United States Federal Government
4.1
Air Traffic ControllerSee 12 salaries from all locations

$91,243

 / yr
Midwest ATC
4.2
Air Traffic ControllerSee 11 salaries from all locations

$84,944

 / yr
Serco Group
3.3
Air Traffic ControllerSee 10 salaries from all locations

$38

 / hr
DOD
4
Air Traffic ControllerSee 9 salaries from all locations

$92,887

 / yr
Robinson Aviation
3
Air Traffic ControllerSee 5 salaries from all locations

$94,404

 / yr
American Airlines
3.7
Air Traffic ControllerSee 4 salaries from all locations

$116,543

 / yr
Northrop Grumman
4
Air Traffic ControllerSee 3 salaries from all locations

$96,030

 / yr
Target
3.5
Air Traffic ControllerSee 3 salaries from all locations

$25

 / hr
IAP Worldwide Services
3.3
Air Traffic ControllerSee 3 salaries from all locations

$95,951

 / yr
Army National Guard
4.1
Air Traffic ControllerSee 3 salaries from all locations

$6,412

 / mo
UPS
3.5
Air Traffic ControllerSee 3 salaries from all locations

$52

 / hr
Chugach Government Solutions
4.1
Air Traffic ControllerSee 2 salaries from all locations

$80,892

 / yr
United Airlines
3.9
Air Traffic ControllerSee 2 salaries from all locations

$121,402

 / yr
Download as data table

Air Traffic Controller Salaries

Job TitleSalary
US Army Air Traffic Controller salaries - 558 salaries reported$85,592/yr
FAA Air Traffic Controller salaries - 289 salaries reported$104,650/yr
US Air Force Air Traffic Controller salaries - 121 salaries reported$88,577/yr
US Navy Air Traffic Controller salaries - 97 salaries reported$88,120/yr
US Marine Corps Air Traffic Controller salaries - 28 salaries reported$85,789/yr
US Department of Defense Air Traffic Controller salaries - 17 salaries reported$86,201/yr
U.S. Department of Transportation Air Traffic Controller salaries - 13 salaries reported$96,556/yr
United States Federal Government Air Traffic Controller salaries - 12 salaries reported$91,243/yr
Midwest ATC Air Traffic Controller salaries - 11 salaries reported$84,944/yr
Serco Group Air Traffic Controller salaries - 10 salaries reported$38/hr
DOD Air Traffic Controller salaries - 9 salaries reported$92,887/yr
Robinson Aviation Air Traffic Controller salaries - 5 salaries reported$94,404/yr
American Airlines Air Traffic Controller salaries - 4 salaries reported$116,543/yr
Northrop Grumman Air Traffic Controller salaries - 3 salaries reported$96,030/yr
Target Air Traffic Controller salaries - 3 salaries reported$25/hr
IAP Worldwide Services Air Traffic Controller salaries - 3 salaries reported$95,951/yr
Army National Guard Air Traffic Controller salaries - 3 salaries reported$6,412/mo
UPS Air Traffic Controller salaries - 3 salaries reported$52/hr
Chugach Government Solutions Air Traffic Controller salaries - 2 salaries reported$80,892/yr
United Airlines Air Traffic Controller salaries - 2 salaries reported$121,402/yr
Viewing 1 - 20 of 240

Top Paying Industries

For an Air Traffic Controller in United States

The top 4 paying industries for an Air Traffic Controller in United States are Transportation & Logistics with a median total pay of $89,674, Government & Public Administration with a median total pay of $88,577, Aerospace & Defense with a median total pay of $86,201 and Human Resources & Staffing with a median total pay of $80,799.

IndustryTotal PayTotal Pay Insight
  • Transportation & LogisticsTransportation & Logistics$89,674

    1% Higher than other industries

  • Government & Public AdministrationGovernment & Public Administration$88,577

    0% Lower than other industries

  • Aerospace & DefenseAerospace & Defense$86,201

    3% Lower than other industries

  • Human Resources & StaffingHuman Resources & Staffing$80,799

    10% Lower than other industries

Transportation & Logistics

Top paying companies in Transportation & Logistics for Air Traffic Controller are Robinson Aviation and Midwest ATC.

Robinson Aviation$94,404/yr
Midwest ATCMidwest ATC$84,944/yr

Recent Salaries Shared

For air traffic controller

Salary Share
Anonymously share your pay to help the community

Job Title

Location

Total Pay

Base Pay | Additional Pay

Total Years of Experience

Years at Recent Employer

Submitted

Date or Time

Air Traffic Controller

United States of America

 | 7-9 years

$80,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

7-9 years
Yesterday
Air Traffic Controller

United States of America

 | 15+ years

$71,171

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

15+ years
Yesterday
Air Traffic Control Instructor

United States of America

 | 15+ years

$6,000

/mo

Submitted 2 days ago

15+ years
2 days ago
Air Traffic Controller

United States of America

 | 10-14 years

$53,038

/yr

Submitted 2 days ago

10-14 years
2 days ago
Traffic Specialist

United States of America

 | 4-6 years

$42,000

/yr

Submitted 2 days ago

4-6 years
2 days ago
Air Traffic Control Specialist

United States of America

 | 15+ years

$33

/hr

Submitted 2 days ago

15+ years
2 days ago
Air Traffic Controller

United States of America

 | 4-6 years

$50,000

/yr

Submitted 3 days ago

4-6 years
3 days ago
Air Traffic Controller

United States of America

 | 4-6 years

$57,000

/yr

Submitted 4 days ago

4-6 years
4 days ago
Air Traffic Controller

United States of America

 | 4-6 years

$53,000

/yr

Submitted 4 days ago

4-6 years
4 days ago

Air Traffic Controller pay FAQ

The average salary for an Air Traffic Controller is $85,583 per year in United States. Salaries estimates are based on 1414 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by an Air Traffic Controller employees in United States.

The highest salary for an Air Traffic Controller in United States is $114,998 per year.

The lowest salary for an Air Traffic Controller in United States is $64,187 per year.

If you are thinking of becoming an Air Traffic Controller or planning the next step in your career, find details about the role, the career path and salary trajectory of an Air Traffic Controller.

Air traffic controllers earn pay similar to airline pilots. They are typically required to be a United States (US) Citizen, pass a medical evaluation and a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) pre-employment test, complete a training course through the FAA academy and take a biographic assessment regarding personality. Additionally, an associate’s degree or a bachelors’ degree is generally required. These requirements result in relatively high pay.

Powered by Glassdoor Economic Research

Approximately 80% of employees are satisfied with their salary as an air traffic controller, according to Glassdoor data. In addition to base salary, controllers may earn an additional $6,136.86 per year, as well as benefits such as employer-paid training, medical insurance, and retirement plans.

According to Glassdoor data, the average air traffic controller salary is $79,445.77. New air traffic controllers usually start at the low end of the pay range, earning around $49,637.93. Pay increases should occur every few years as experience is gained, and additional increases may also occur if a master's degree or FAA Academy certification is completed. The maximum air traffic controller salary is around $149,612.39.

If you are already employed as an air traffic controller, you can take steps to improve your chances of earning more pay. As you gain more experience in the tower, you should move up within the air traffic controller career path, getting promoted from radar controller to arrival controller to supervisor. Education is also critical, and earning higher college degrees and certifications from the FAA Academy is advantageous. Your geographic location can make a big difference as the busiest airports in the country often pay the highest. Finally, overtime pay can be lucrative for air traffic controllers, with larger airports having the most extra hours available.

If you are starting your career as an air traffic controller, you may be able to demand a higher salary offer by understanding the job requirements and doing well in your job interview.

For those already in an air traffic controller role, perform an air traffic controller job search to review the job descriptions of your desired future position, and then be prepared to argue why you meet or exceed those requirements. Highlight any leadership tasks performed. Also, be prepared to talk about your performance metrics and safety record. If you are a top performer on the team, tell your employers exactly how much value you add.

Additional Resources

Air Traffic Controller Job Description Template

Salaries

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air traffic controller