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Air Traffic Controller: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.

The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.

Maid DizdarevicCareer coach · 8x LinkedIn Top Voice
Updated Oct 24, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · O*NET 31.0
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Median percentile pay

Half of air traffic controllers earn more than this and half earn less.

Annual
$148,080
Hourly
$71.19
Source
BLS May 2025
Quick answer

Air Traffic Controllers 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. The median pay is $148,080 a year ($71.19 an hour) (BLS, May 2025). The most commonly reported education requirement is a high school diploma or equivalent (36% of workers surveyed by O*NET).

Median pay
$148,080
BLS May 2025
Employed in the U.S.
22,510
BLS May 2025
Preparation
Job Zone 3 of 5
medium preparation
Most common education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
36% of workers
Explore the role

Every page for Air Traffic Controllers

SalaryAir Traffic Controller salary

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The work

What air traffic controllers do day to day

Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).

  1. Inform pilots about nearby planes or potentially hazardous conditions, such as weather, speed and direction of wind, or visibility problems.
  2. Monitor aircraft within a specific airspace, using radar, computer equipment, or visual references.
  3. Monitor, direct, or sequence the movement of aircraft within an assigned air space or on the ground at airports to minimize delays and maximize safety.
  4. Alert airport emergency services in cases of emergency or when aircraft are experiencing difficulties.
  5. Maintain radio or telephone contact with adjacent control towers, terminal control units, or other area control centers to coordinate aircraft movement.
  6. Transfer control of departing flights to traffic control centers and accept control of arriving flights.
  7. Provide flight path changes or directions to emergency landing fields for pilots traveling in bad weather or in emergency situations.
  8. Direct pilots to runways when space is available or direct them to maintain a traffic pattern until there is space for them to land.
Skills that matter

Ranked by importance to the job

Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.

Active ListeningcoreSpeakingcoreJudgment and Decision MakingcoreCritical ThinkingComplex Problem SolvingMonitoringCoordinationReading ComprehensionActive Learning

Knowledge areas: Transportation, English Language, Public Safety and Security, Education and Training, Customer and Personal Service, Geography.

Tools and technology

Software air traffic controllers use

Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.

  • Advanced technologies and oceanic procedures ATOPExpert system software
  • Automated radar terminal systems ARTSExpert system software
  • Center TRACON automation systems CTASExpert system software
  • Direct-to-tool softwareFlight control software
  • En route descent advisor EDAFlight control software
  • Expedite departure path EDP softwareFlight control software
  • Final approach spacing tool FASTFlight control software
  • Flight simulation softwareFlight control software
  • Multi-center traffic management advisor McTMAFlight control software
  • Really Simple Syndication RSSWeb page creation and editing software
  • Traffic management advisor TMA softwareFlight control software
  • Microsoft ExcelSpreadsheet softwareIn demand

Also called: ATCS (Air Traffic Control Specialist), Center ATC (Center Air Traffic Controller), Certified Professional Controller (CPC), Developmental Air Traffic Controller, Developmental ATCS (Developmental Air Traffic Control Specialist), Enroute ATCS (Enroute Air Traffic Control Specialist).

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Method

How this page is built

Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the correlation between the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level, subtract the average across all occupations, and correlate the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 or below means unrelated. Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.

What this page can't tell you
  • How a specific employer defines the job.
  • Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
  • Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
Sources
  1. O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).