We're hiring!

The FAA reached its goal of hiring 1,800 new air traffic controllers during the just-ended fiscal year 2024, and is now seeking to hire even more. For FY 2025, the FAA is aiming to hire another 2,000 air traffic controllers. To that end, the agency is once again accepting applications for prospective air traffic controllers. Unlike in previous application periods, this time around the window for applying is more than a weekend -- applications are already being taken and will be accepted through November 4, 2024.

 

A comment posted to an earlier post about controller hiring asked about our pay. The job listing on USAJobs lists the starting salary as about $36,000. That is the salary that new hires will receive while they are at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City for initial training. During that time, they will also receive an allowance for housing. After successfully completing the initial training in Oklahoma City, controllers will be assigned to an actual air traffic facility where they will train and, if successful, work as a controller. Once assigned to a facility, the new controller's pay will go to the pay band for that level of facility. I've included a recent, although perhaps not quite current, copy of the air traffic pay scale below.

ATSPP Pay Bands, effective January 14, 2024
- exclusive of locality pay
		Code			Dx	Ex	Fx	Gx	Hx	Ix	Jx	Kx	Lx
		ATC Level			4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
Career Level
CPC/TMC/TMS		xH	Maximum		$80,370	$91,221	$100,802	$111,386	$123,084	$136,003	$156,406	$164,614	$172,847
			Minimum		$59,535	$67,572	$74,670	$82,509	$91,173	$100,743	$115,857	$121,934	$128,035
D3		xG	Maximum	75%	$59,535	$67,572	$74,670	$82,509	$91,173	$100,743	$115,857	$121,934	$128,035
			Minimum		$56,099	$62,124	$67,448	$73,329	$79,826	$87,005	$98,336	$102,898	$107,472
D2		xF	Maximum	50%	N/A	N/A	$67,448	$73,329	$79,826	$87,005	$98,336	$102,898	$107,472
			Minimum		N/A	N/A	$60,224	$64,147	$68,477	$73,262	$80,818	$83,860	$86,912
D1		xD	Maximum	25%	N/A	N/A	N/A	$64,147	$68,477	$73,262	$80,818	$83,860	$86,912
			Minimum		N/A	N/A	N/A	$54,964	$57,131	$59,525	$63,303	$64,820	$66,346
AG		xC			$45,782	$45,782	$45,782	$45,782	$45,782	$45,782	$45,782	$45,782	$45,782
		Note:  Pay rates for FAA employees, including locality pay, are capped by law at $221,900 — the rate for level II of the Executive Schedule (P.L. 104-264 paragraph 40122 c).

 

Each air traffic facility is rated based upon the volume of traffic worked by that facility. As an example, my first facility was in Monroe, Louisiana, which is a level 5 facility. Looking at the chart, we can see that a new controller trainee at MLU will receive a salary of $45,782. After completing 75% of their training at MLU, their salary will go up to $62,124. Once fully certified, their salary will rise to $67,572. In successive years, they will receive annual step increases and cost of living raises, with an ultimate cap of $91,221. As convoluted as that sounds, it's not that simple, but that will do for now. There are a couple of missing pieces of information: What level a given facility holds, and what is the applicable locality pay for that area. For those details, I refer you to these sources:

ATC facility levels courtesy of 123atc.com

Locality areas courtesy of FederalPay.org 

I could go on and on, but most of what I'd be saying would be repeats of the official information. So instead, here are the links:

FAA Be ATC info page 

USAJobs Application

 

Important things to consider:

• Your first facility assignment will be determined by the needs of the FAA. You might have a chance to offer input, but ultimately you'll get sent where you're needed. That move will be at your own expense. The FAA has facilities in all 50 states, as well as locations in American territories such as Guam and Puerto Rico.
• There is no guarantee that you'll make it as an air traffic controller. There are many training phases, each of which is pass/fail. That's part of the reason that the agency is hiring several thousand new controllers. I don't know what the exact numbers are, but the historic washout rate is around 50%; some don't make it through the FAA Academy, and others make it there only to washout at their assigned facility.
• This can be a grueling career. The training is long, difficult, and often frustrating. The responsibility is real, and it can be stressful. We work nights. We work weekends. We work holidays. I've got thirty years in, and I've worked over two dozen Christmas Days. There's a reason that we have have early retirement as compared to most public sector employees.
• Controllers have mandatory retirement at age 56. There can be exceptions made, but this is a young person's job. That doesn't mean that you have to leave the FAA after your 56th birthday; there are plenty of controllers who have transitioned to administrative, training, and management positions. 
  

It's not all bad news though:

• FAA air traffic controllers are employed by the US government, which is traditionally a stable employer. 
• Federal workers have benefits, such as a wide choice of health insurance options. Vision and dental plans are also offered. Long-term care insurance and disability insurance are available as well.
• While controllers do have to work nights, weekends, and holidays, we do also get paid extra for doing so.
• New controllers earn 13 days of paid vacation per year in their first three years of employment, after which we receive 20 days per year. After 15 years of service, we earn 26 days per year. Vacation time (aka Annual Leave) can be saved; up to a limit of 30 days' leave can be carried over from one year to the next. Anything beyond that is considered Use or Lose. We also receive 13 days of paid sick leave each year, which has no restrictions on saving from one year to another.
  
• As mentioned, FAA controllers have mandatory retirement at age 56. The Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) consists of a three-part retirement: A pension, which is calculated based upon your highest three years salary and your years of service; Social Security; and the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), which is the government employees' version of a 401K plan. Your contributions to TSP are matched by the government up to the first 5% of your salary.