Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Associate's degree
None
Long-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Air traffic controllers manage complex, high-stakes work and are well compensated for their expertise. Nationally, they earn a median annual salary of $144,580, with 24,000 people employed in this occupation. Employment is projected to grow by 1.2%, with about 2,000 openings each year, indicating a steady flow of opportunities. The career typically requires an associate's degree, making it accessible to those who do not plan to complete a four-year program. Strong performance in areas such as detail orientation, problem solving, critical and analytical thinking, adaptability, and clear speaking and listening supports success in this field. Additional strengths in mathematics, customer service, creativity and innovation, leadership, and written communication also contribute to effectiveness. For people interested in aviation-related work with structured training pathways, this role provides a focused, specialized career option, with related alternatives that include airline pilots, flight engineers, and other specialized professional paths.
Air traffic controllers are among the higher-paid professionals in the labor market described here, with a national median annual salary of $144,580. Earnings can vary notably by location. Several states and metro areas offer median pay well above the national figure. For example, Colorado reports a median salary of $177,380, and Washington shows $162,570. At the metro level, San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA, has a median salary of $193,360, and Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue, WA, reports $175,280. Other major metros such as Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, and Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim, CA, also feature median salaries above $170,000. These figures suggest that location choices can significantly influence earning potential. Since the typical entry point is an associate's degree, this occupation offers strong compensation relative to the educational level required, which may be appealing for individuals seeking substantial earnings without a bachelor's degree.
Nationally, air traffic controllers account for 24,000 jobs, with employment projected to grow by 1.2%. While this is a modest growth rate, there are still about 2,000 openings each year. These openings reflect both new positions and turnover in existing roles. The combination of a defined national workforce size and an ongoing stream of annual openings suggests a relatively stable career path with consistent hiring needs. The 1.2% projected growth rate is also reflected uniformly across the highlighted states and metro areas, indicating similar expectations for change in those regions as well. For students and career changers, the key takeaway is that this occupation is not rapidly expanding, but it is not shrinking either, and a predictable number of openings appear each year. Individuals considering this path can plan around a reasonably steady employment outlook rather than relying on rapid growth to create opportunities.
Location plays a major role in both opportunity and pay for air traffic controllers. Among states, California has the highest CareerGPS opportunity score at 67.38, with a median salary of $160,080 and employment of 2,290. New York (score 65.78) and Massachusetts (65.87) also rank highly, with median salaries of $144,960 and $125,060 and smaller workforces. Colorado and Washington show higher median salaries—$177,380 and $162,570 respectively—but somewhat lower opportunity scores in the mid-50s, suggesting a different balance of pay and other factors. At the metro level, San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA leads with an opportunity score of 68.75 and a median salary of $193,360, standing out for both earnings and opportunity. The Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area combines a large employment base of 1,800 with a $174,870 median salary and a strong opportunity score of 64.47. Other metros such as Boston, Los Angeles, and Seattle also offer high salaries and solid opportunity scores, giving candidates multiple strong regional options.
The typical education requirement for air traffic controllers is an associate's degree, making it a professional path that does not generally demand a four-year college credential. Even with this shorter educational route, the role relies on a robust skill set. Being detail oriented is essential, as is strong problem solving and decision making. Critical and analytical thinking skills support sound judgments in complex situations, while adaptability helps individuals respond to changing conditions. Effective speaking and listening are key communication skills, and comfort with mathematics underpins many aspects of the work. Additional strengths in customer service, creativity and innovation, leadership, and writing and reading round out the profile. Together, these capabilities indicate that success in this career depends on a combination of cognitive, interpersonal, and communication skills developed through education and practice, rather than on advanced degrees alone. Students planning for this pathway can focus on building these specific competencies alongside their associate-level studies.
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