Air Traffic Controller Career Guide

If you have ever wondered how aircraft land and take off without crashing into other aircraft, then you probably know that there are people directing their traffic. These are called air traffic controllers, and their primary role is to ensure the safety and order among aircraft on the ground and in the air. Some of them work in control towers, approach control facilities, or en route centers.

Air traffic controllers are responsible for all inbound and outbound traffic in an airport and the airspace. It is also their duty to inform pilots of critical information relating to their travel and to guide them in and out of the airport and monitor aircraft travel using computers and radars.

Air traffic controllers have one of the best paying jobs and enjoy federal benefits including annual leave, sick leave, and life and health insurance. They also receive federal retirement benefits. However, the mental stresses associated with securing the safety of aircraft and its passengers can be strenuous. The duties of air traffic controllers require top mental condition which is why this occupation has a retirement age relatively earlier than most jobs. Mandatory retirement is at age 56 but those with at least 20 years of experience may retire at 50.

To become an air traffic controller, one must have either 3 years of progressively responsible work experience in any occupation, or a combination of a bachelor?s degree and work experience, or obtain a degree through an FAA-approved Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative program. They must pass the FAA pre-employment assessment test, the Air Traffic Controller Specialists Skills Assessment Battery, and complete a training course at the FAA Academy.

Some important qualities of an air traffic controller are fluency in the English language as the foundation for good communication and with strong concentration, problem-solving, and decision-making skills

Air Traffic Controller Career Ratings

(What these ratings mean)

Income

Career
Growth

Personal Growth

Contribution

Influence

Job Profiles

Real-Life Air Traffic Controller Job Profiles

Below is a list of links to anonymous job profiles of REAL PEOPLE who have filled out our survey and offered to share their insights with our users about their job in the Air Traffic Controller field.

ID	Job Title	Gender	Age	Earnings	City & State	Date
32655	Controller	Male	61	$82,000	holyoke, NY	01/01/2010

Overview

What a air traffic controller actually does

Air traffic controllers land aircrafts so that they can take off without crashing into other aircrafts. Their primary role is to ensure the safety and order among aircraft on the ground and in the air and they do this by monitoring inbound and outbound traffic at airports. They work in control towers, approach control facilities, or en route centers.

The key responsibilities and duties of an air traffic controller include:

Monitoring and directing the movement of an aircraft on the ground and in the air
Controlling all ground traffic at airport runways and taxiways
Issuing landing and takeoff instructions to pilots
Transferring control of departing flights to other traffic control centers
Inform pilots about weather, runway closures and other critical information
Alter airport response staff in the event of an emergency

Why they are needed

Without air traffic controllers planes would not be able to land or fly safely. They move aircrafts safely and efficiently through the airspace system so that we can travel, protect nations and move freight.

Pros and cons of a career as an air traffic controller

Pros:

Air traffic controllers earn a good money
Good on the job training
There are good job benefits
There are good career progression options
You can retire early
There are opportunities to travel
There is a stable job market

Cons:

There are lots of ways to get into this career
Job training can be challenging
It is high pressured and lots of stress
It can involve shift work, which requires commitment and can be taxing on your family

Employability

Job market

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the overall employment of air traffic controllers is projected to grow 1 percent from 2021 to 2031, which is slower than the average for all occupations.

However, despite the slow growth, 2,400 openings for air traffic controllers are projected each year. These job opportunities are expected to occur as workers leave the workforce to retire or pursue careers in different occupations.

Career paths

To become an air traffic controller there are several different paths you can take. They are:

Complete 3 years of progressively responsible work experience
Achieve bachelors degree
Have a combination of postsecondary education and work experience totalling 3 years
Obtaining a degree through an Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-approved Air Traffic Collegiate Training (AT-CTI) program

As well as picking one of the above career routes, you also need to:

Be a U.S. citzen
Pass a medical evaluation, including a drugs screening and background check
Pass the FAA preemployment test. This includes a biographical assessment to evaluate your persoanlity fitness to become an air traffic controller
Pass the Air Traffic Controller Specialist Skills Assessment Battery
Complete a training course at the FAA academy

Once air traffic controllers land a job, they are trained at the FAA Academy, which is located in Oklahoma City, OK. The lenghts of this training varies depending upon which route the candidate took to becoming an air traffic controller, but it must always be completed by the candidates 31st birthday.

After graduating from the Academy, trainees are then assigned to air traffic control facilities as ‘developmental controllers’. In this role, they will supply pilots with basic flight data and airport information. As development controllers master their duties and get more responsibilities, they can switch to air traffic controller with additional training. When they get to this position, they then have the opportunity to make it to supervisory positions.

Air traffic controllers also receive federal retirement benefits. However, the mental stresses associated with securing the safety of aircraft and its passengers can be strenuous. The duties of air traffic controllers require top mental condition which is why this occupation has a retirement age relatively earlier than most jobs. Mandatory retirement is at age 56 but those with at least 20 years of experience may retire at 50.

Example Job Titles for Air Traffic Controller

Below is a list of common job titles in the Air Traffic Controller field. Click the links below for more information about these job titles, or view the next section for actual real-life job profiles.

Benefits & Conditions

Income and benefits

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for air traffic controllers in the US was $129,750 in 2021. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $71,880, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $185,990. The highest paying employer was the federal government, where the median annual salary was $137,380. This is followed by the support activities for air transportation, where the average annual salary was $79,580

Autonomy and Flexibility

Most air traffic controllers don’t have a huge amount of autonomy and flexibility. This is because more of them work full time and have to adhere to the shift patterns designated by their place of employment. Their shifts often rotate among day, evening and night because most air traffic control systems need to operate on a 24-hour basis.

Locations and commute

According to Zippia, the best states in 2022 to be an air traffic controller, based on average wage a number of jobs available per capita, were:

Delaware, where the average annual salary was $62,801
Connectituct where the average annual salary was $62,945
Michigan, where the average annual salary is $60,494
New Hampshire, where the average annual salary is $58,171
Pennsylvania, where the average annual salary is $62,873

According to Zippia, the worst states to be a bus driver were Montana, Idaho, Washington, Kansas and Iowa.

Work environment

The two employers of air traffic controllers is the federal government, which hires 93% of air traffic controllers, and the support for air transportation industry, which hire a further 3%.

Air traffic controller work in control towers, approach facilities or en route centres. They work in well-lit rooms as they need to be able to see their radar screens clearly. The environment requires air traffic controllers to be able to handle highly stressful situations and concentrate for extended periods of time.

Career Satisfaction

Common Matching Personality Types

Which personalities tend to succeed and thrive in Air Traffic Controller careers? Based on our research, there is a relatively strong positive correlation between the following personality types and Air Traffic Controller career satisfaction. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t many exceptions, of course, but if you fit into one of the following personality types then we suggest you give strong consideration to a career in Air Traffic Controller.

16 Types (Myers-Briggs)

ISTJ

Big Five (OCEAN)

None

DISC

None

Enneagram

None

Holland Codes (RIASEC)

Personality types

An air traffic controller is likely to be an enterprising individual, meaning that they are a natural leader who likes to influence and persuade others. On top of this, air traffic controllers are likely to be detail-oriented, organized and like to work in a structured environment, meaning that they are also likely to be a conventional personality type.

In terms of the Myers Briggs scale, air traffic controllers will most likely present the ISTJ personality type. This means that they will be avid communicators and pay attention to the intricate details that must be noticed in order to land a plane.

Accomplishment and mastery

The sense of accomplishment and mastery can be very high in air traffic control career. They have a huge amount of responsibility to ensure the safety of sometimes hundreds of aircrafts, and their passengers, a day. Each time an air traffic controller lands a plane safely, they will feel accomplished!

Meaning and contribution

Air traffic controllers play a big part in the aviation world and in our society. Without them, we would not be able to

Life fit

Being a truck driver can prove difficult to the life fit of many. Often, truck drivers will work away from home for days at a time, meaning that they will miss out on certain aspects of family life. On top of this, life on the road as a trucker is not as glamorous as life on the road as a rockstar. It can be hard to find ways to exercise and stay fit, finding meals may sometimes be an issue and finding places to keep personal hygiene in check can be tricky.

Who will thrive in this career?

The reoccurring theme when its comes to being a successful truck driver is that it is what you make of it. So, in order to thrive and be successful, truck drivers need to work hard and think positive.

You will thrive in this career if you are organized and can plan ahead, taking into account the likelihood of unforeseen circumstances such as traffic or delays. Those who like to work independently and are good at managing themselves will also thrive, and will most likely end up loving the job for its self-dependent nature.

Who will struggle in this career

It goes without saying that those who like to work in teams, or like to be constantly surrounded by other people, will struggle in this career due to the solo and independent nature of the work. On top of this, those who are incredibly family oriented might find the career too difficult and will miss being away from home.

Those who are naturally spontaneous, excitement seeking and do not follow rules may also struggle in this career as these behaviours can lead to reckless driving behaviour, which will cause more accidents.

Requirements

Quick Glance

Skills

How to Become

FAQs

Ask a Question

Have a question about Air Traffic Controller careers? If so, our mentors would love to help! Just click on a mentor’s profile below and then fill out the “Ask a Question” form on that page. Your question will then be emailed to the mentor, who can then email you a reply.

ID	Job Title	Gender	Age	Earnings	City & State	Date
32655	Controller	Male	61	$82,000	holyoke, NY	01/01/2010

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