Air Traffic Controllers Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 53-2021 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$148,075
$71.19/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Air Traffic Controllers is $148,075 per year ($71.19/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $104,520 and $190,570 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $215,613 per year. There are approximately 22,510 air traffic controllers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+1.2%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
2K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
24K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
1% from new growth99% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Associate's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 3 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
21K
$156,250
Support Activities for Air Transportation
NAICS 488100
1K
$83,890
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
190
$83,880
Wage range across top 5 industries: $83,880 to $156,250 (86% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$37.70
$78,416
P25
$50.25
$104,520
P50MEDIAN
$71.19
$148,075
P75
$91.62
$190,570
P90
$103.66
$215,613
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
3.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market rebounded in March: hires jumped to 5.6M (+655K) and separations rose to 5.4M (+356K), both more than offsetting February's drop. Job openings held at 6.9M. Quits ticked to 2.0%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average air traffic controllers salary?
The national median salary for Air Traffic Controllers is $148,075 per year ($71.19/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $104,520 and $190,570 annually.
How much do top-earning air traffic controllers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Air Traffic Controllers is $215,613 per year ($103.66/hr). The 75th percentile is $190,570 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for air traffic controllers?
Entry-level Air Traffic Controllers (10th percentile) earn approximately $78,416 per year ($37.70/hr). The 25th percentile is $104,520 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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