ATC pay

Flyr3465

New Member
Hi could anyone tell me what a Air traffic Controller Usually makes starting out???

THanks
Chris
 
More than a pilot.






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My neighbor is one and he does really well. It takes just as long to get senority though. He has been doing it for a long time and still has to work a ton of nights.
 
The starting pay while at the academy is about $34,000. It increases about 10k when you walk in the door at the facility. Once you get checked out in your position it increases even further. A controller at a level 12 center (the busiest) can make about $140,000 base pay a year. They then get extra pay for working nights, Sundays, holidays. Plus if they live in an expensive area of the country (Chicago, NY, etc) they get extra locality pay.

Unfortunately there are very few ways to get on with the FAA as a control. You either have to be a former military controller, go to a CTI school and get a degree, or go to the MARK school.
 
The following is information copied from the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics' website:

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Median annual earnings of air traffic controllers in 2000 were $82,520. The middle 50 percent earned between $62,250 and $101,570. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $44,760, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $111,150.

The average annual salary, excluding overtime earnings, for air traffic controllers in the Federal Government—which employs 89 percent of the total—in nonsupervisory, supervisory, and managerial positions was $53,313 in 2001. Both the worker's job responsibilities and the complexity of the particular facility determine a controller's pay. For example, controllers who work at the FAA's busiest air traffic control facilities earn higher pay.

Depending on length of service, air traffic controllers receive 13 to 26 days of paid vacation and 13 days of paid sick leave each year, life insurance, and health benefits. In addition, controllers can retire at an earlier age and with fewer years of service than other Federal employees. Air traffic controllers are eligible to retire at age 50 with 20 years of service as an active air traffic controller or after 25 years of active service at any age. There is a mandatory retirement age of 56 for controllers who manage air traffic.

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You can find information on basically any job by going to their website's Occupation Search Engine .

http://stats.bls.gov/search/ooh.asp?ct=OOH
 
I recall reading somewhere that you must be no more then 30 years old to get hired/trained as a controller.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Median annual earnings of air traffic controllers in 2000 were $82,520. The middle 50 percent earned between $62,250 and $101,570. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $44,760, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $111,150.

The average annual salary, excluding overtime earnings, for air traffic controllers in the Federal Government—which employs 89 percent of the total—in nonsupervisory, supervisory, and managerial positions was $53,313 in 2001. Both the worker's job responsibilities and the complexity of the particular facility determine a controller's pay. For example, controllers who work at the FAA's busiest air traffic control facilities earn higher pay.

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Which is precisely why America CEO Dubya wants to contract all those jobs out--they're all simply paid too much, and it's an industry ripe for some low-ball bidding (by a new Halliburton subsidiary, perhaps?
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). After all, if an airline pilot shouldn't make more than $100k/yr, a controller sure as hell shouldn't, right?
 
If we privatise the ATC system, lord help us all.

Because they'd just simply be profit-motivated and probably have larger sectors with fewer controllers. The ATC system is so clogged up, we've got one controller working multiple sectors and it's to the point that it's so hard to get in a word edgewise, that I just stay on course, go to the new frequency and wait until he controller gives me an instruction.

Controllers deserve to make phat bank, those guys work exceptionally hard with a communications system that's circa-Marconi.
 
I'm actually in favor of privatization. There are several non-federal control towers here in FL and they do a pretty good job. For one thing they listen to feedback!

The ATC system is big and cumbersome. If it were motivated by customer service there might be some improvements.

Of course the transition might be messy
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After all, if an airline pilot shouldn't make more than $100k/yr, a controller sure as hell shouldn't, right?

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Wanna have a laugh? Ask your dispatcher what he makes! Wanna laugh harder? Ask the crew desk what they make (if you can get a hold of them). Talk about thankless jobs for thankless pay!

Of course, my only point of reference is in the Regional world. Mainline dispatchers certainly have it better (if they can remain employed). We lowly Regional dispatchers don't even get a reach around.

Maybe I should start a business manufacturing Ramen noodles! I'd make a mint!

Paul.
 
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My neighbor is one and he does really well. It takes just as long to get senority though. He has been doing it for a long time and still has to work a ton of nights.

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I was up visiting the tower at Portland, Oregon and asked who the lucky ones were that worked the night shifts. The controller there said they all rotated around the clock. So EVERYONE gets a chance to work the graveyard. That may just be how that particular facility is managed. Others, I'm not sure if they do the same thing.
 
I agree...I've been to a few airports with NFCT's, and you don't really notice much of a difference. Besides, they have the same training as FAA controllers.

The reason I would be against privatization of the system has nothing to do with that. The thing that scares me is user fees. Gotta pay those controllers somehow, and if they are private, the taxpayers probably won't be paying their salaries. Unless its under a govt. contract, but that would seemingly defeat the whole purpose of privatization in the first place.
 
Cessna 1234K, contact Daytona Approach on 123.45 and squawk the last four digits of your credit card. Good day.
 
Heck, we'd probably have even more ATC-related delays. Because insteading of adding more controllers in a sector to decrease frequency congestion, you're going to have fewer controllers doing more work in order to reap a bigger profit.

Like the first day of Business 101. The professor asks, "What does Apple Computer do?"

Student: "Make computers"

Prof: "Wrong, Apple Computers makes a profit, everything else is secondary".

I dunno, perhaps I'm just negative, but I can't see privatisation solving any of ATC's current problems. Just lower pay, heavier workload and more frequency congestion.
 
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I dunno, perhaps I'm just negative, but I can't see privatisation solving any of ATC's current problems. Just lower pay, heavier workload and more frequency congestion.

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Kinda of like private fire departments. Doh!!
 
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