Transportation
Air Traffic Controllers
SOC 53-2021
Direct aircraft on the ground and in the air to keep them safely separated.
The job
Median pay
$148k
$105k to $191k typical range
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Growing
+1.7% projected
Openings a year
2k
BLS projection
Typical education
Associate's plus FAA academy
Our model
AI displacement risk
Low
How much of this job AI may do instead of the person
Works with AI
34/100
AI alongside the person rather than instead of them
AI exposure
54th pct
More exposed than 54% of occupations · modeled estimate · 60th pct in Microsoft's data
Future-proof
61/100
Key skills
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Learning
Pay and jobs by state
BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's. A tilde marks a figure estimated from the parent occupation group where BLS publishes none.
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 2,290 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $160k |
| Texas | 2,060 | 0.1 | 1.0× | $170k |
| Florida | 1,950 | 0.2 | 1.4× | $148k |
| New York | 1,150 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $145k |
| Virginia | 1,120 | 0.3 | 1.9× | $192k |
| Illinois | 990 | 0.2 | 1.1× | $182k |
| Georgia | 970 | 0.2 | 1.4× | $178k |
| Ohio | 871 | 0.2 | 1.1× | $143k~ |
| Washington DC | 820 | 1.2 | 8.1× | $48k |
| Colorado | 740 | 0.3 | 1.8× | $177k |
All 51 states
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 680 | 0.2 | 1.6× | $177k |
| Indiana | 630 | 0.2 | 1.4× | $159k |
| Washington | 620 | 0.2 | 1.2× | $163k |
| Tennessee | 590 | 0.2 | 1.2× | $157k |
| Alaska | 490 | 1.5 | 10.4× | $124k |
| Pennsylvania | 460 | 0.1 | 0.5× | $132k |
| Wisconsin | 452 | 0.2 | 1.1× | $151k~ |
| Kansas | 430 | 0.3 | 2.1× | $160k |
| North Carolina | 410 | 0.1 | 0.6× | $129k |
| Arizona | 380 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $137k |
| Michigan | 360 | 0.1 | 0.6× | $119k |
| Utah | 360 | 0.2 | 1.4× | $158k |
| New Mexico | 350 | 0.4 | 2.8× | $149k |
| Oregon | 283 | 0.1 | 1.0× | $155k~ |
| Oklahoma | 270 | 0.2 | 1.1× | $123k |
| Missouri | 260 | 0.1 | 0.6× | $122k |
| Alabama | 240 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $115k |
| Kentucky | 230 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $128k |
| Louisiana | 230 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $100k |
| Connecticut | 213 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $141k~ |
| Hawaii | 210 | 0.3 | 2.3× | $159k |
| Nevada | 210 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $141k |
| New Jersey | 190 | 0.0 | 0.3× | $132k |
| South Carolina | 190 | 0.1 | 0.6× | $112k |
| Mississippi | 160 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $88k |
| Idaho | 120 | 0.1 | 1.0× | $148k~ |
| Iowa | 120 | 0.1 | 0.5× | $91k |
| Massachusetts | 120 | 0.0 | 0.2× | $125k |
| North Dakota | 100 | 0.2 | 1.6× | $108k |
| West Virginia | 99 | 0.1 | 1.0× | $124k~ |
| New Hampshire | 84 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $147k~ |
| Arkansas | 80 | 0.1 | 0.4× | $110k |
| Delaware | 70 | 0.1 | 1.0× | $154k~ |
| Maine | 70 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $107k |
| Maryland | 70 | 0.0 | 0.2× | $131k |
| Nebraska | 70 | 0.1 | 0.5× | $112k |
| South Dakota | 65 | 0.1 | 1.0× | $134k~ |
| Montana | 60 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $101k |
| Rhode Island | 50 | 0.1 | 0.7× | $126k |
| Wyoming | 40 | 0.1 | 1.0× | $94k |
| Vermont | 30 | 0.1 | 0.7× | $109k |
Top metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV1,800 jobs · $175k median
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ1,010 jobs
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN850 jobs · $190k median
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA810 jobs · $187k median
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX800 jobs · $187k median
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL720 jobs · $162k median
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA690 jobs · $173k median
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI620 jobs · $180k median
Explore the rankings
Explore Air Traffic Controllers interactively →Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.