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Air Traffic Controller

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AVG. SALARY

$119,990

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EDUCATION

Associate's degree

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JOB OUTLOOK

Stable

What To Learn

High School

What high school courses should you take if you're interested in this career? Get your answers from the Transportation, Distribution and Logistics cluster Transportation Systems/Infrastructure Planning, Management and Regulation pathway.

Beyond High School

Here's a list of programs that you should consider if you're interested in this career:

Education Level

Education training and experience are required at different levels for success in different occupations.

Associate's degree

There are several different paths to becoming an air traffic controller. Candidates typically need an associate's or bachelor’s degree through a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-approved Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) program, several years of progressively responsible work experience, or a combination of education and experience.

Insider Info

Additional Information

Being an air traffic controller is a stressful but exciting profession. If you'd like to pursue a career directing air traffic, try a job-shadowing program with a controller in your community.

The more you know about the industry, the better.

Keep a lookout for recruiting seminars. These are held for people interested in becoming air traffic controllers. For information on these, contact the FAA.

Veteran controllers strongly advise going out into the world and getting some real life experience before deciding to become an air traffic controller.

Anyone who wants to become an air traffic controller must write an aptitude test. Applicants who score highly on this test advance to the second stage of recruitment -- the personal interview.

The point of the personal interview is to see if the applicant has the characteristics needed to become an air traffic controller. Interviewers look for qualities like motivation, practical intelligence, and the ability to speak clearly.

Former air traffic controller Tim Schroeder says that academic abilities are not valued in the field and good grades alone won't get you far. However, the ability to make spontaneous, creative decisions is crucial.

"It can't be something that you've read in a book. You have to be able to improvise....That's probably the most redeeming quality of most of the air traffic controllers that I've met. They're able to take a complex situation and do a very quick analysis and a very quick improvisation of what needs to be done to accomplish the objective," he says.

If you are successful in the interview, you have to pass a medical exam. This exam tests your health, hearing and diction, color perception, eyesight and other physical qualities.

Those accepted into the training program undergo 13 to 17 weeks of training at the FAA's training academy in Oklahoma City. Classroom training periods are followed by on-the-job training.

Be prepared to clock your time in less popular areas. Rookie controllers have to work their way up to the more popular assignments. You may also have to move around a lot in the first five years.

Extra Requirements

All air traffic controllers must hold an Air Traffic Control Tower Operator Certificate or be appropriately qualified and supervised as stated in Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations part 65.

For additional information, visit these websites:

Contact

  • Email Support

  • 1-800-GO-TO-XAP (1-800-468-6927)
    From outside the U.S., please call +1 (424) 750-3900

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OCAP believes that financial literacy and understanding the financial aid process are critical aspects of college planning and student success. OCAP staff who work with students, parents, educators and community partners in the areas of personal finance education, state and federal financial aid, and student loan management do not provide financial, investment, legal, and/or tax advice. This website and all information provided is for general educational purposes only, and is not intended to be construed as financial, investment, legal, and/or tax advice.