Air Traffic Controllers Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for air traffic controllers in the U.S. is $148,080 ($71.19 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $148,080
- Mean annual wage
- $146,490
- Median hourly wage
- $71.19
- Employment
- 22,510
22,510 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $78,420 | $37.70 |
| 25th percentile | $104,520 | $50.25 |
| Median (50th) | $148,080 | $71.19 |
| 75th percentile | $190,570 | $91.62 |
| 90th percentile | $215,610 | $103.66 |
Highest-paying states for air traffic controllers
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia | $191,820 | 1,120 |
| Illinois | $181,560 | 990 |
| Georgia | $178,420 | 970 |
| Colorado | $177,380 | 740 |
| Minnesota | $176,840 | 680 |
| Texas | $170,080 | 2,060 |
| Washington | $162,570 | 620 |
| California | $160,080 | 2,290 |
| Kansas | $159,700 | 430 |
| Indiana | $158,810 | 630 |
Lowest-paying states
- District of Columbia: $47,760 median annual wage
- Mississippi: $88,110 median annual wage
- Iowa: $90,790 median annual wage
- Wyoming: $93,580 median annual wage
- Louisiana: $99,810 median annual wage
About this occupation
Control air traffic on and within vicinity of airport, and movement of air traffic between altitude sectors and control centers, according to established procedures and policies. Authorize, regulate, and control commercial airline flights according to government or company regulations to expedite and ensure flight safety.
Typical tasks
- Provide flight path changes or directions to emergency landing fields for pilots traveling in bad weather or in emergency situations.
- Provide on-the-job training to new air traffic controllers.
- Contact pilots by radio to provide meteorological, navigational, or other information.
- Conduct pre-flight briefings on weather conditions, suggested routes, altitudes, indications of turbulence, or other flight safety information.
- Review records or reports for clarity and completeness and maintain records or reports, as required under federal law.
- Direct pilots to runways when space is available or direct them to maintain a traffic pattern until there is space for them to land.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: Associate's degree
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 0.4% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 10.6% |
| Some college, no degree | 27.4% |
| Associate's degree | 19.8% |
| Bachelor's degree | 35.6% |
| Master's degree | 5.7% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 0.5% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
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About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.