Air Traffic Controllers

Median salary

$148,080

Average salary

$146,490

Employment

22,510

Projected growth

1.2% growth

Annual openings

2,200

Typical entry education

Associate's degree

What Air Traffic Controllers Do

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.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Long-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: Not available

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 3 of 5

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Experience: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
Education: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Job training: Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Transportationimportance 4.2/5
English Languageimportance 3.9/5
Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.8/5
Education and Trainingimportance 3.8/5
Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.6/5
Geographyimportance 3.5/5
Telecommunicationsimportance 3.4/5
Mathematicsimportance 3.3/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Frequency of Decision Making4.9/5
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.9/5
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.8/5
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results4.8/5
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.8/5
Contact With Others4.7/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Medical Dosimetrists97% skill match
Surveying and Mapping Technicians95% skill match
Airfield Operations Specialists95% skill match
Detectives and Criminal Investigators95% skill match
Traffic Technicians95% skill match
Construction and Building Inspectors94% skill match
Occupational Health and Safety Technicians94% skill match
Anesthesiologists94% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 4.1/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 4.0/5
Coordinationimportance 3.9/5
Time Managementimportance 3.5/5
Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.4/5
Operations Monitoringimportance 3.3/5
Systems Analysisimportance 3.3/5
Instructingimportance 3.1/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

Advanced technologies and oceanic procedures ATOP
Automated radar terminal systems ARTS
Center TRACON automation systems CTAS
Direct-to-tool software
En route descent advisor EDA
Expedite departure path EDP software
Final approach spacing tool FAST
Flight simulation software

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Cautiousness
Attention to Detail
Stress Tolerance
Self-Control
Dependability
Integrity
Self-Confidence

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

ConventionalMedium
RealisticMedium
EnterprisingMedium
SocialLow
InvestigativeLow
ArtisticLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.