How much does an air traffic controller make?
Typical yearly pay for air traffic controllers in the United States.
median pay per year, about $12,340 a month or $71.19 an hour.
That's more than 94% of the 100 jobs in our salary guide, ranking #7 of 100.
Think you know what other jobs pay?
Paycheck is a free daily game: guess the pay for five jobs, see how close you got, and share your score.
Play today's PaycheckWhere it ranks
| Dentist | $170,950 |
| Lawyer | $159,670 |
| Judge | $153,990 |
| Air traffic controller | $148,080 |
| Petroleum engineer | $144,910 |
| Pharmacist | $140,910 |
| Optometrist | $136,570 |
Similar jobs
- Ship captain or pilot$92,460
- Train engineer$81,410
- Railroad conductor$78,000
- Airline pilot$232,140
- Flight attendant$63,580
- Long-haul truck driver$58,640
How much does an air traffic controller make per hour?
About $71.19 an hour, if you spread the median yearly pay over a standard 40-hour week, 52 weeks a year. Actual hourly pay varies with overtime, shift work and location.
Becoming an air traffic controller
The U.S. Department of Labor's career profile covers the training, licenses and day-to-day tasks for this job.
How to become an air traffic controller
About this number
This is the national median wage for the occupation “Air Traffic Controllers” (code 53-2021.00) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025 release, as published on O*NET OnLine. The median is the middle value: half of workers earn more, half earn less.