Is air traffic controller a good profession?

Question

I can't decide whether I should be an airline pilot or an air traffic controller. I have actually started my flying lessons to get my PPL and I am not confident about being a good pilot and have a job in the future. Please help me =)

Answer 1

If you are good at handling stress then air traffic controller might be the job for you, but if you are not, then you will not be a happy camper at work. Air traffic controller has been rated the most stressful job in the world, but the pay almost makes up for that.

For a more relaxing, but not slack job at all i would go with the pilot, as you get to see the world a little bit more, which is always something I have wanted to do

Answer 2

Everyone who has previous answered has taken the time out of their day to try and help. I appreciate their effort on you behalf, but I must respectfully disagree with the vast majority of what has been said. I’m not a CPC, but I hold a control tower operator’s certificate and am working my way through the whole FAA process, so while I’m not the best person to answer on YA I have a fair bit of knowledge. You may very well get hired by the FAA and wash out. That would definitely make you an unemployed controller. Wash out once and you’re done for life which would realistically make you a permanently unemployed controller. There are private companies that work smaller towers, but by the time you had enough experience to work for them, you’d have either washed out or have made the final cut with the FAA. You can make mistakes. Controllers are human and 99.9% have made mistakes in the FAA’s eyes. Making a mistake in sequencing that delays an arrival, but doesn’t crash an airplane, while not good, isn’t the end of the world. Controllers can make mistakes that don’t include putting two airplanes together. Granted if you put two together you’re probably done. The high stress thing is sort of true and sort of not. I don’t think any controller would say working at 2am is high stress in normal conditions. Controllers know when the pushes come in and can prepare for it. Toss in an emergency though or something out of the ordinary and it can be a seat of the pants nail biter though. Anything I’ve ever been involved with in aviation is hours of routine followed by the occasional few minutes of terror. As far as pay, the wages have changed. If you were to get say JFK, you’d start at 31,700 and make in the area of 70K once you finally got certified on all positions. Yeah you’d make more in the coming years but certainly shouldn’t expect to pull down 125,000 if you get lucky. The transferring part is a bit tricky. If your facility agrees to the transfer and the receiving facility agrees to the transfer then you can. The crux of the issue is you’ll (in so far as I understand the new contract) be paid the wage of trainee while you learn the local airspace and procedures and have to recertify on all positions at the appropriate pay. Should you fail to learn the new facility’s procedures you can be fired. So it does involve a pay cut and a gamble on your part. Is it a good career or not? That is for you to decide. Many people become lawyers thinking it is a cake gig and don’t like it or can’t hack it. If you’re decisive, quick on your feet and can handle pressure, chances are you’ll be OK.

Answer 3

Commercial Aviation looks glamorous from the outside, but once you get into it, there's lots of long hours, time spent away from home, low pay and high stress levels to deal with. Air Traffic Controllers experience lots of on-the-job stress, and many do not make it to retirement age. Commercial pilots spend thousands of $$$ to get their required training and ratings, then many can't find a job that will repay what they have invested.

Make sure you get ALL the facts before you jump into something that you may not be happy with in the long-term.

Answer 4

There is a huge shortage of controllers coming in the next few years. Many are retiring and there isn't much being done to replace them. So, it will be a job with lots of growth potential. But like the other answers stated, it is very stressful job. Your best source of info would be to talk to the controllers at your local airport.

Piloting isn't bad either, it just wasn't the career it used to be.

Answer 5

All I hear on the news is that our country needs more good air traffic controllers. I don't hear that about pilots. I know some controllers that have had excellent careers once they got through the Reagan years.

Answer 6

I think Air Traffic Controller is one of if not the most stressful jobs in the world, go for it though if you want it

Answer 7

The country needs controllers bad!! But the pay is not what everyone claims it is! The recent contract has cut new controller pay. A new controller in training barely makes 18k. And when they finish training they will max out at about 32k. Thats not worth the stress and the FAA treats it controllers like dirt. Note: An average controller on an average day is responsible for more lives in one shift, than 5 doctors in thier whole careers.

Answer 8

ATC is really stressful. The training is brutal and the stress levels of the job are nasty. But if you can make it, you're pretty much set for life if you want to be. The pay is good and job security is excellent.

Answer 9

No, no and no! Are you reading the news? These guys are sleeping on the job doing back to back shifts and are under criminal investigation. Too many lives in your hands.

Answer 10

If you don't mind stress the pay is kick a$$