According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), 45,000 flights carrying over 2 million passengers take off and land in the U.S. each day — and there’s absolutely no room for error.
Air traffic controllers are responsible for ensuring that the nation’s commercial and cargo air traffic operates safely, both in the air and on the ground. They are employees of the FAA and pledge an oath of service to all users of the country’s airspace system.
Directing air traffic is a high-stress position that demands intense concentration and excellent communication and mathematical skills, although a four-year degree is not required. This job can include night, weekend, and holiday work, but those who can handle the pressure are rewarded handsomely with salaries well into the six figures.
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What do air traffic controllers do?
Using a sophisticated network of radar technology as well as split-second decision-making abilities honed from intense training and, often, years of experience, air traffic controllers are responsible for monitoring aircraft movement and providing instructions to pilots that reduce delays, prevent accidents, and handle emergencies — in all types of weather.
Before takeoff, the control tower updates pilots on weather conditions, flight plans, and any safety issues before authorizing clearance to depart. Once airborne, air traffic controllers help maintain safe distances between aircraft and assist pilots as they change altitude. As an aircraft approaches an airport, controllers give it clearance to land on the runway, and once it’s safely on the ground, they instruct pilots on where to taxi their aircraft.
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The United States is divided into 21 airspace zones.
Federal Aviation Administration, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Types of air traffic control jobs
You might think that all air traffic controllers work out of the airport control tower, scanning the runways with binoculars through wide window walls. While many do, others work out of route and approach control centers hundreds of miles away.
In fact, the FAA divides the country’s air traffic control network into 21 airspace zones, which are subdivided into 50-mile tracts called Terminal Radar Approach Control spaces, or TRACON for short. Airports have a 5-mile airspace radius pinpointed within these locations. Overseeing all operations is the David J. Hurley Air Traffic Control System Command Center, located in Warrenton, Va.
It’s reassuring to know that an aircraft is never alone; it’s always being monitored and communicating with air traffic control throughout the duration of its flight.
Here’s a look at how the different air traffic control positions work in concert with an aircraft:
Flight data controller
Before takeoff, flight data controllers carefully review aircraft flight plans, entering the flight number, airline, type of aircraft, intended speed, cruising altitude, and flight route into an FAA tracking computer. When a flight plan meets with their approval, they give the pilots clearance to depart.
Ground controller
Ground controllers provide pilots with instructions on pushing back from the gate and taxiing to the runway. They tell pilots which runway to use and make sure that the aircraft does not cross any active runways.
Local controller
Local controllers stationed in the airport control tower use sightlines as well as radar to give pilots final clearance for takeoff. They work with the National Weather Service to monitor weather conditions and make sure it’s safe to fly, although ultimately, the final decision rests in the hands of pilots.
A blog post from pilot Gary Leff detailed how air traffic control had once cleared a line of commercial planes for takeoff moments before an afternoon thunderstorm, but concerned captains decided to wait it out. Twenty minutes later, the storms had moved east, and the pilots felt it was safe to depart.
Departure controller
Once an aircraft leaves the ground, it moves under the jurisdiction of the TRACON facility that services the airport. Departure controllers provide instructions to aircraft so that they correctly follow ascent corridors while maintaining safe distances between other planes. At this point, pilots activate their transponders, which broadcast their flight information to the control centers in each zone they fly through.
Radar controller
Five miles into the flight, the aircraft enters the airspace of the Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) where a team of radar controllers provides pilots with weather and traffic updates. In the event of bad weather or turbulence, controllers work with pilots to safely change altitudes.
Center controller
About 150 miles from an aircraft’s destination, center controllers orchestrate descending aircraft into a single-line file. If there’s traffic (and there often is), they will direct the planes into a holding pattern to wait until the airport can handle their arrival.
Approach controller
Fifty miles from a destination, an approach controller provides instructions to the pilot they adjust their speed and altitude in preparation for landing.
Local controller
Ten miles from the runway, the local controller takes over, checking the runways and, when they determine that it’s safe to land, authorizing pilot clearance. After landing, they tell pilots which runways to use and what terminal to park at.
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Experienced air traffic controllers can make more than $200k per year.
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Air traffic controller salaries: how much do they make?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for air traffic controllers in 2023 was $137,380. The lowest 10% of earners made less than $76,190, while the highest made more than $200,990.
According to USA Jobs, the starting pay for a supervisory air traffic control specialist in Wichita, Kan. was between $117,971 and $153,361.
The FAA states that an air traffic controller’s salary usually depends on their location as well as the complexity of the flight paths they deal with. Experience plays a big part in securing raises and incentives: The more advanced levels of training an air traffic controller completes, the greater their take-home pay will be.
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Air traffic controllers cannot work more than 10 straight hours, and they must have at least nine hours of rest between shifts. In larger airports when control towers operate 24 hours, air traffic controllers must work nights, weekends, and holidays, while smaller airports offer more standard work schedules.
What benefits do air traffic controllers get?
All FAA jobs come with a comprehensive benefits package that includes paid time off, sick leave, health and dental insurance, and childcare subsidies. FAA employees receive matching Thrift Savings retirement plans with immediate vesting schedules as well as FERS pension plans.
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How do I become an air traffic controller?
Air traffic controller candidates must be U.S. citizens and speak English fluently. They are required to pass medical evaluations, background checks, and drug screening tests.
Due to the complex nature of air traffic control as well as the extensive training required for the position, the FAA stipulates that new hires must pass the FAA Academy training program before age 31 to ensure that they have at least a 25-year career path. The mandatory retirement age for air traffic controllers is 56.
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Education
Air traffic controllers come from a variety of backgrounds; many candidates possess a bachelor’s degree, particularly in business and engineering, and most have at least 3 to 5 years of work experience at other jobs.
However, only an associate’s degree is required for the position. To qualify with an associate’s degree, candidates must successfully complete the FAA’s Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) program at an eligible community college or university. Topics covered include aviation, weather, and federal regulations.
Exam
All candidates must pass the Department of Transportation’s Air Traffic Controller Specialists Skills Assessment Battery test, which is a computer-based exam that tests candidates on memory, spatial/visual relationships, and logical reasoning to determine whether they can handle the levels of stress that the position demands.
FAA Academy
Candidates who meet the requirements above and receive conditional job offers must next complete a training course at the FAA Academy. Through hands-on training and simulators, this 3-to-5-month program teaches trainees the procedures they must strictly follow as well as ways to adapt to constantly changing circumstances. The FAA Academy is located in Oklahoma City, Okla., and trainees receive a salary during their training period.
Additional testing post-hire
Air traffic controllers undergo additional training over their first year on the job. In order to retain employment, they must pass twice-yearly exams, physical exams, and periodic drug screenings.
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What is the job outlook for air traffic controllers in 2024?
Currently, 14,000 active U.S. air traffic controllers direct some of the busiest air space on the planet — 4,000 out of 5,000 of all daily flights operate in a “golden triangle” between Chicago, New York, and Washington, DC.
NASA engineers designed a program called FACET (Future Air Traffic Management Concepts Evaluation Tool) to help air traffic controllers move people and cargo safely and efficiently. The program uses traffic patterns and weather data to model climb, cruise, and descent paths for commercial aircraft. It is also responsible for some spectacular imagery.
With all that air traffic, you’d expect demand for air traffic controllers to be on the rise, but the BLS anticipates only 2,000 new openings each year over the next decade, mainly to replace workers who cycle out of the workforce through retirement.
The BLS adds that satellite advancements should enable individual controllers to handle even more congestion in the coming years — although whether that’s a good or bad thing for those in the industry remains to be seen.
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