Air Traffic Controllers Wages
SOC 53-2021 • Full occupation profile
The median annual wage for Air Traffic Controllers is $137,380 nationally (2023 BLS OEWS). The 10th percentile is $76,190 and the 90th percentile is $200,990, showing the wide spread of wages in this occupation.
National Wage Distribution (2023)
Employment
22,310
P10
$76,190
P25
$96,870
Median
$137,380
P75
$176,720
P90
$200,990
National Wage Trend
How national median and mean wages for Air Traffic Controllers have moved across BLS OEWS release years.
| Year | Median | Mean | P10 | P90 | Employment | YoY Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $137,380 | $136,790 | $76,190 | $200,990 | 22,310 | — |
| 2022 | $132,250 | $130,840 | $73,590 | $189,800 | 21,250 | -3.73% |
| 2021 | $129,750 | $127,920 | $71,880 | $185,990 | 21,230 | -1.89% |
| 2020 | $130,420 | $127,440 | $72,760 | $184,780 | 22,190 | +0.52% |
Wages by State (2023)
State-level OEWS wage estimates for Air Traffic Controllers. The highest median is in Virginia at $177,110, 29% above the U.S. median.
| Area | Median Annual | vs National | Mean Annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | $177,110 | +28.9% | $162,620 | 1,110 |
| New Hampshire | $176,260 | +28.3% | $163,480 | 420 |
| Illinois | $171,810 | +25.1% | $154,830 | 950 |
| Colorado | $168,580 | +22.7% | $152,580 | 690 |
| Minnesota | $166,860 | +21.5% | $156,070 | 630 |
| Georgia | $166,380 | +21.1% | $149,600 | 970 |
| California | $160,490 | +16.8% | $150,060 | 2,490 |
| Texas | $159,100 | +15.8% | $146,620 | 2,060 |
| Washington | $155,210 | +13% | $145,610 | 560 |
| Ohio | $151,170 | +10% | $142,140 | 700 |
| Indiana | $150,780 | +9.8% | $136,910 | 590 |
| Kansas | $147,180 | +7.1% | $137,900 | 420 |
| Utah | $146,350 | +6.5% | $136,010 | 360 |
| Tennessee | $146,060 | +6.3% | $137,990 | 580 |
| Hawaii | $144,210 | +5% | $134,930 | 210 |
| Florida | $137,240 | -0.1% | $132,030 | 2,030 |
| New Mexico | $136,510 | -0.6% | $129,180 | 350 |
| New York | $135,590 | -1.3% | $139,290 | 1,250 |
| Nevada | $123,280 | -10.3% | $127,600 | 230 |
| Arizona | $122,780 | -10.6% | $130,930 | 360 |
| New Jersey | $122,620 | -10.7% | $125,990 | 190 |
| Kentucky | $121,970 | -11.2% | $121,970 | 190 |
| Pennsylvania | $121,310 | -11.7% | $130,320 | 390 |
| Alaska | $120,040 | -12.6% | $122,480 | 470 |
| Rhode Island | $118,960 | -13.4% | $118,890 | 50 |
| Oklahoma | $115,170 | -16.2% | $119,990 | 260 |
| North Dakota | $113,880 | -17.1% | $111,050 | 90 |
| Idaho | $109,820 | -20.1% | $108,560 | 60 |
| Missouri | $109,660 | -20.2% | $112,360 | 240 |
| Alabama | $108,100 | -21.3% | $109,950 | 210 |
| Connecticut | $107,870 | -21.5% | $107,410 | 70 |
| Michigan | $106,390 | -22.6% | $122,790 | 390 |
| Maryland | $105,310 | -23.3% | $108,160 | 110 |
| South Carolina | $101,670 | -26% | $103,750 | 180 |
| Wisconsin | $100,090 | -27.1% | $102,190 | 150 |
| Massachusetts | $96,370 | -29.9% | $117,580 | 130 |
| Louisiana | $93,870 | -31.7% | $99,520 | 240 |
| Montana | $92,980 | -32.3% | $91,860 | 70 |
| South Dakota | $92,830 | -32.4% | $94,040 | 50 |
| Arkansas | $91,440 | -33.4% | $75,950 | 160 |
| Iowa | $89,520 | -34.8% | $92,040 | 90 |
| Mississippi | $87,730 | -36.1% | $90,500 | 130 |
| West Virginia | $82,740 | -39.8% | $85,350 | 100 |
| Wyoming | $80,100 | -41.7% | $87,530 | 40 |
| District of Columbia | $34,130 | -75.2% | $92,890 | 610 |