Becoming an air traffic controller is a long and difficult process, and the job is equally stressful. But it comes with good pay.
Michael Dwyer/AP
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker is “concerned” about air-traffic-control staffing levels.
The job is high-stress with challenges like fatigue but the average annual salary is six figures.
Controllers must undergo rigorous training and testing and have mandatory retirement at age 56.
Being an air traffic controller is an extremely high-stress job, with workers responsible for the movement of thousands of lives on board planes across the country every day.
The Federal Aviation Administration employs over 13,000 controllers who operate out of some 700 facilities across the US and manage an average of 45,000 flights per day. These employees handle everything from jumbo airliners to tiny prop planes.
For a lot of people, becoming a controller is a dream job, but getting there is not easy and must be done through specific channels, like applying to the FAA’s periodic job openings or joining the military. Moreover, FAA applicants must be 30 or younger, with few exceptions.
However, Politico reported in September that FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said the agency is struggling to find workers — a reality that has been impacting the profession for years. Stressors like staffing shortages and fatigue have been further heightened by the string of aircraft near-misses at US airports this year and last.
“We’re seeing lower numbers than we did before,” Whitaker said during the Global Aerospace Summit hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce. “I’m a little concerned about the long term. We’re trying to cast as wide a net as we can to bring people into the profession. It really is a great profession, but it is a steep learning curve.”
CNN reported in May 2024 that the FAA was about 3,000 controllers short. Whitaker said that the agency needs another 18 months to reach its desired staffing levels, with goals to hire 1,800 new controllers in 2024 and 2,000 in 2025.
Still, the agency hopes funding from the FAA Reauthorization bill signed in May and continued recruitment efforts will boost training and hiring, enhance safety, and reduce shortage-caused flight disruptions.
Successful applicants who apply through the FAA must undergo months of extensive training and pass mandatory tests, such as an aptitude test, a skills assessment, and physical and psychological exams, before being officially hired.
While the salary, which averages $127,805 a year, and the benefits of working for the federal government may be enticing, becoming an air traffic controller can be a high-stress and busy job, so interested applicants should understand what to expect before diving in.
Business Insider spoke with FAA controller Cedrick Earley to discuss what it is like to work the job. Here are nine things you should know before applying to become an air traffic controller.
You don’t need a college degree to work in ATC
For people looking for a high-salary job that doesn’t require a college degree, ATC is a good option.
An FAA spokesperson told BI the agency posts ATC jobs throughout the year based on the organization’s hiring goal and the number of applicants currently in the pipeline, among other factors. There are two types of job postings: “experienced hire,” which is open at the beginning of the year, and “off-the-street,” which is posted in the summer months. However, additional openings are posted as needed.
Air Traffic Controllers can start training with minimal to no prior aviation experience.
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To be eligible, off-the-street applicants only need to meet minimum requirements, like the ability to speak English, be under the age of 31 (more on that later), and have three years of progressive work experience, or a combination of work and school, according to the last ATC hiring window in April.
If accepted, these applicants will spend up to five months at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City, where training and testing will occur. However, some applicants come from other careers, like the military, that place them in the “experienced hire” category.
Earley said he went through the Air Force to become a controller instead of going through the FAA. He worked for the military for six years and has been a controller with the FAA for four years now.
“[Air Force] is a different track,” he said. “The quality of training you receive from the Air Force is equivalent to what you would get if you went through the route with the FAA in Oklahoma.”
You have to be younger than 31 when you apply
All ATC applicants must be 30 or younger on the closing date of the application period to qualify for the position, according to the FAA. This is because the agency has determined through extensive research that the older someone is, the harder it is for them to complete the rigorous training.
However, according to the agency, those who already have air traffic control experience can be hired up to 35 years of age.
You have to go through a lot of testing and training
Whether you become a controller through the FAA or the military, you will have to undergo monthslong training and pass aptitude, physical, physiological, and skill tests. These exams assess applicants’ health, and their ability to train for and perform the job.
Initial tests are pass/fail, according to the agency, and failing certain exams will eliminate applicants from the hiring process.
The training is demanding, with about 50% of aspiring Air Force controllers failing out.
You won’t necessarily work in a tower
Air traffic controllers are not just confined to the airport tower but can also work in several stations around and between major airports.
The Houston TRACON controls roughly 16,000 square miles of airspace surrounding the Houston area. It is separate from the ATC tower.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
For example, Earley works in the Terminal Radar Approach Control Facility, or TRACON, in Memphis and is responsible for controlling aircraft leaving the airport for their next destination and directing flights into the airport for a quick and safe landing.
Employees can also work in one of the 22 air route traffic control centers, or ARTCCs, throughout the US, which direct aircraft en route to their destinations.
The work can be high-stress and sometimes boring
Being an air traffic controller can be stressful due to the heavy workload and high-consequence environment. However, depending on how busy the skies are, the job can also be dull and boring.
Former air traffic controller Michele Robson wrote in 2020 that the job can be quiet at night, but controllers must always be alert and ready to work at any hour on shift.
While some controllers find the job extremely stressful, Earley said that isn’t the case for him because he enjoys the “challenge of coming in every day to a new puzzle.” However, he admitted that that work keeps him on his toes.
“Controllers are always learning on the job, like updating and refining the processes, or learning new rules and procedures,” he explained. “It is a job where you always have to change and adapt.”
Safety is the top priority
Air traffic controllers are responsible for thousands of lives every day, so safety is the most important aspect of the job. An increasing number of planes colliding or nearly colliding has further enhanced FAA training and system improvements across airports and ATC facilities.
According to Earley, there are several things controllers do to ensure nothing is missed.
“I work in front of a radar scope, and it can get busy at times, so I am not supposed to work in position more than two hours at a time, so we get a break to keep us refreshed,” he said. “We also do not work more than 10 hours in one day, and there is a certain amount of hours we have to be off before we can work again.”
The FAA recently passed new rules, effective 2025, that would minimize controller fatigue by raising the minimum rest time between shifts from at least nine hours to at least 10 hours. Controllers get 12 hours off before and after midnight shifts.
Earley also explained that there are redundancies in the job to elevate safety.
“Everyone is actually able to see what is going on with any particular person’s work at the time, so it is one team, one fight,” he said. “If we notice something is a little out of sorts, we can bring that to the controller’s attention, and they can fix it before it becomes a bigger problem. We always monitor and police each other, and there are also supervisors in the room that oversee the entire operation.”
The salary is good, but the work schedule can be inconsistent
Working for the federal government comes with a good salary, paid leave, and health insurance. According to the FAA, the average annual salary for a controller is $127,805, which increases with seniority.
Earley explained that the salary and benefits provide a good work-life balance.
“It’s a job that pays me well and allows me to support my family,” he said. “I’m also able to take leisure time for myself, like spending time with my daughter.”
Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is the world’s busiest and its ATC tower handles hundreds of flights a day.
BanksPhotos/Getty Images
However, he also said his schedule is not the regular 9-5.
“I do have some shifts I work from midnight to 8 a.m., as well as some scattered 12-8 shifts, so it rotates,” he said. “I always know what my hours are each day, but it is not always at the same time. It is consistently inconsistent.”
You know your schedule for the entire year
According to Earley, air traffic controllers know their work schedule a year in advance.
“When we set our schedules up, we bid what we want for the next year, and then we are awarded our full schedule for the year,” he said. “It helps in terms of planning our leave.”
He also explained that the schedule is only for one year, and controllers can change it the following year.
You can retire at 56
All air traffic controllers must retire at 56 due to the higher possibility of memory or hearing loss, inattentiveness, or reduced eyesight in older individuals, according to the agency.
However, the 56 age cut-off only applies to those actively working traffic, so controllers who are not yet ready to retire can take a desk or management job instead, according to Early.
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