Average Salary for Air Traffic Controllers
SOC 53-2021 · Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · 2024 data
The median annual wage for Air Traffic Controllers in the United States is $144,580 ($69.51/hr), based on 2024 BLS OEWS data. Wages range from $76,090 at the 10th percentile to $210,410 at the 90th percentile nationally. An estimated 22,400 people work in this occupation across the country. The national median wage has grown 18.2% since 2014.
Median Annual
$144,580
Mean Annual
$142,740
10th Pct
$76,090
75th Pct
$186,510
Employment
22,400
Salary Distribution
$76k
10th
$101k
25th
$145k
Median
$187k
75th
$210k
90th
Highest Paying Metro Areas
| Metro Area | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $192,500 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $188,930 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $184,930 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $182,890 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $182,310 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $181,200 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $180,090 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $178,920 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $176,110 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $172,490 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $169,350 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $169,230 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $166,940 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $164,240 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | $159,120 |
Salary by State
| State | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Virginia | $185,890 |
| Minnesota | $176,030 |
| Illinois | $175,090 |
| Georgia | $174,600 |
| Colorado | $172,310 |
| Texas | $167,710 |
| Washington | $164,070 |
| Kansas | $156,620 |
| Utah | $156,120 |
| Indiana | $155,790 |
| Tennessee | $153,670 |
| California | $152,010 |
| Nevada | $147,700 |
| New Mexico | $145,290 |
| Florida | $144,710 |
| New York | $142,190 |
| Hawaii | $142,040 |
| New Jersey | $135,470 |
| Arizona | $130,960 |
| Pennsylvania | $129,310 |
| Kentucky | $126,550 |
| Rhode Island | $123,610 |
| Connecticut | $121,910 |
| Oklahoma | $121,580 |
| North Dakota | $121,470 |
| North Carolina | $120,580 |
| Alaska | $120,370 |
| Puerto Rico | $119,560 |
| Idaho | $117,150 |
| Missouri | $115,440 |
| Maryland | $114,620 |
| Michigan | $113,650 |
| Oregon | $113,030 |
| Alabama | $112,740 |
| Nebraska | $108,990 |
| Guam | $108,200 |
| South Carolina | $107,330 |
| Wisconsin | $106,750 |
| Massachusetts | $103,230 |
| Louisiana | $99,670 |
| Arkansas | $99,490 |
| South Dakota | $98,530 |
| Iowa | $95,200 |
| Mississippi | $91,480 |
| Wyoming | $89,650 |
| West Virginia | $86,390 |
| District of Columbia | $35,940 |
Salary by Industry
National median wage for Air Traffic Controllers broken down by industry sector, 2024 data.
| Industry | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Engineering Services | $176,570 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | $176,570 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $164,370 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $164,370 |
| Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $154,000 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $154,000 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $153,420 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $153,420 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $153,420 |
| Nonscheduled Air Transportation | $143,890 |
| Air Transportation | $110,180 |
| Facilities Support Services | $86,500 |
| Scheduled Air Transportation | $86,390 |
| Support Activities for Air Transportation | $82,510 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | $82,400 |
| Support Activities for Transportation | $81,780 |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $81,600 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $77,040 |
| Technical and Trade Schools | $76,340 |
| Educational Services | $61,100 |
| Educational Services | $61,100 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement | $55,990 |
National Wage Trend
View data table
| Year | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $144,580 |
| 2023 | $137,380 |
| 2022 | $132,250 |
| 2021 | $129,750 |
| 2020 | $130,420 |
| 2019 | $122,990 |
| 2018 | $124,540 |
| 2017 | $124,540 |
| 2016 | $122,410 |
| 2015 | $122,950 |
| 2014 | $122,340 |