What is the average wage for an air traffic controller?

Question

Also what do you have to do to become an air traffic controller?

Answer 1

Air traffic controllers earn relatively high pay and have good benefits. Median annual earnings of air traffic controllers in May 2004 were $102,030. The middle 50 percent earned between $78,170 and $126,260. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $57,720, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $139,210.

Answer 2

Pay is between 31,700 and 104,500 depending on experience, so the average doesn't mean too much and the median wage is skewed by the majority of the workforce being close to retirement, so that isn't a good figure to base anything on either.

Pay is determined by how busy the controller's facility is, how many duties they are certified to perform and how long they have been in service (none of these figures include locality pay, overtime or premium etc). All controllers start at 31,700. From there a controller at what you might call a moderately busy airport will make 45,300 after you certify on all positions maxing out at 62,650 or 74,950 maxing at 104,500 at the busiest places.

To become a controller you currently have three options. You can join the military and do ATC there and apply to the FAA when you get out, you can to a fed job search and take the entrance test and interview in hopes of getting on that way or you can go to a CTI school and major in air traffic control ww.atccti.com lists all 13 approved schools.

Best of luck.