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How Much Does an Air Traffic Controller Make?
An air traffic controller in the US earns a median salary of $148,080 a year, or $71.19 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $146,490, and the middle half earn between $104,520 and $190,570.
Air traffic controller pay range
What air traffic controllers earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.
| Percentile | A year | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (lowest 10%) | $78,420 | $37.70 | |
| 25th | $104,520 | $50.25 | |
| Median (50th) | $148,080 | $71.19 | |
| 75th | $190,570 | $91.62 | |
| 90th (top 10%) | $215,610 | $103.66 |
The median is 190% more than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 22,510 people work as air traffic controllers in the US.
After tax and by period
- A week
- $2,848
- Every two weeks
- $5,695
- Twice a month
- $6,170
- A month
- $12,340
At the median salary, before tax.
Air traffic controller salary by state
Sorted by average pay. Virginia pays air traffic controllers the most, at $175,740 a year on average.
| State | Average | Median | Jobs | After tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | $175,740 | $191,820 | 1,120 | After tax |
| Georgia | $164,700 | $178,420 | 970 | After tax |
| Illinois | $164,200 | $181,560 | 990 | After tax |
| Minnesota | $162,920 | $176,840 | 680 | After tax |
| Colorado | $158,790 | $177,380 | 740 | After tax |
| California | $156,910 | $160,080 | 2,290 | After tax |
| Texas | $156,370 | $170,080 | 2,060 | After tax |
| New York | $154,660 | $144,960 | 1,150 | After tax |
| Washington | $154,320 | $162,570 | 620 | After tax |
| Hawaii | $151,040 | $158,700 | 210 | After tax |
| Kansas | $149,440 | $159,700 | 430 | After tax |
| Tennessee | $149,020 | $157,330 | 590 | After tax |
| Utah | $147,710 | $158,310 | 360 | After tax |
| Indiana | $145,010 | $158,810 | 630 | After tax |
| Florida | $144,140 | $147,530 | 1,950 | After tax |
| Nevada | $143,990 | $140,920 | 210 | After tax |
| Pennsylvania | $143,180 | $132,350 | 460 | After tax |
| Connecticut | $141,920 | $140,940 | – | After tax |
| Arizona | $140,340 | $136,800 | 380 | After tax |
| New Mexico | $140,280 | $148,550 | 350 | After tax |
| New Jersey | $139,660 | $132,230 | 190 | After tax |
| North Carolina | $136,490 | $129,230 | 410 | After tax |
| Maryland | $136,220 | $131,290 | 70 | After tax |
| Michigan | $134,670 | $118,930 | 360 | After tax |
| Massachusetts | $132,750 | $125,060 | 120 | After tax |
| Alaska | $130,420 | $123,950 | 490 | After tax |
| Missouri | $125,950 | $122,200 | 260 | After tax |
| Oklahoma | $125,280 | $123,220 | 270 | After tax |
| Puerto Rico | $122,150 | $125,780 | 110 | |
| Kentucky | $121,910 | $127,800 | 230 | After tax |
| Rhode Island | $120,870 | $126,300 | 50 | After tax |
| Alabama | $117,540 | $114,960 | 240 | After tax |
| Nebraska | $113,210 | $111,710 | 70 | After tax |
| South Carolina | $110,990 | $112,030 | 190 | After tax |
| Vermont | $109,830 | $109,140 | 30 | After tax |
| Arkansas | $108,570 | $109,760 | 80 | After tax |
| North Dakota | $106,930 | $107,990 | 100 | After tax |
| Louisiana | $106,280 | $99,810 | 230 | After tax |
| Montana | $98,700 | $101,380 | 60 | After tax |
| Wyoming | $97,300 | $93,580 | 40 | After tax |
| District of Columbia | $96,410 | $47,760 | 820 | After tax |
| Guam | $95,420 | $82,830 | 40 | |
| Mississippi | $93,850 | $88,110 | 160 | After tax |
| Maine | $93,400 | $107,270 | 70 | After tax |
| Iowa | $91,670 | $90,790 | 120 | After tax |
A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.
Other transportation and material moving jobs
- Warehouse laborer $40,240 median
- Stocker and order filler $37,330 median
- Truck driver $58,640 median
- Light truck driver $44,860 median
- Industrial truck and tractor operator $46,420 median
- First-line supervisor of transportation and material moving workers $62,890 median
- Packer and packager, hand $36,280 median
- Driver/sales worker $38,770 median
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Air Traffic Controllers” (SOC 53-2021). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries
About the Job Salaries
Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.
How to use it
- 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
- 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
- 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
- 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an air traffic controller make an hour?
The median hourly wage for an air traffic controller is $71.19, and the average is $70.43. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $37.70 an hour and the top 10% over $103.66.
How much does an air traffic controller make a month?
At the median salary of $148,080, an air traffic controller earns about $12,340 a month before tax, or $5,695 every two weeks.
Which state pays air traffic controllers the most?
Virginia has the highest average pay for an air traffic controller, at $175,740 a year. Next are Georgia and Illinois. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.
What is the starting salary for an air traffic controller?
The lowest-paid 10% of air traffic controllers earn less than $78,420 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $104,520. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.
How much do the highest-paid air traffic controllers make?
The top 10% earn more than $215,610 a year, and the top 25% more than $190,570.
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