53 Series · SOC 53-2021
Air Traffic Controllers
National salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2024)
Median Salary
$144,580
per year
Median Hourly
$69.51/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$142,740
average
Employment
22,400
jobs nationwide
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$76,090
25th Percentile
$101,150
Median
$144,580
75th Percentile
$186,510
90th Percentile
$210,410
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 47 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $185,890 | +29% above national |
| 2 | Minnesota | $176,030 | +22% above national |
| 3 | Illinois | $175,090 | +21% above national |
| 4 | Georgia | $174,600 | +21% above national |
| 5 | Colorado | $172,310 | +19% above national |
| 6 | Texas | $167,710 | +16% above national |
| 7 | Washington | $164,070 | +13% above national |
| 8 | Kansas | $156,620 | +8% above national |
| 9 | Utah | $156,120 | +8% above national |
| 10 | Indiana | $155,790 | +8% above national |
| 11 | Tennessee | $153,670 | +6% above national |
| 12 | California | $152,010 | +5% above national |
| 13 | Nevada | $147,700 | +2% above national |
| 14 | New Mexico | $145,290 | same as national |
| 15 | Florida | $144,710 | same as national |
| 16 | New York | $142,190 | 2% below national |
| 17 | Hawaii | $142,040 | 2% below national |
| 18 | New Jersey | $135,470 | 6% below national |
| 19 | Arizona | $130,960 | 9% below national |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $129,310 | 11% below national |
| 21 | Kentucky | $126,550 | 12% below national |
| 22 | Rhode Island | $123,610 | 15% below national |
| 23 | Connecticut | $121,910 | 16% below national |
| 24 | Oklahoma | $121,580 | 16% below national |
| 25 | North Dakota | $121,470 | 16% below national |
| 26 | North Carolina | $120,580 | 17% below national |
| 27 | Alaska | $120,370 | 17% below national |
| 28 | Puerto Rico | $119,560 | 17% below national |
| 29 | Idaho | $117,150 | 19% below national |
| 30 | Missouri | $115,440 | 20% below national |
| 31 | Maryland | $114,620 | 21% below national |
| 32 | Michigan | $113,650 | 21% below national |
| 33 | Oregon | $113,030 | 22% below national |
| 34 | Alabama | $112,740 | 22% below national |
| 35 | Nebraska | $108,990 | 25% below national |
| 36 | Guam | $108,200 | 25% below national |
| 37 | South Carolina | $107,330 | 26% below national |
| 38 | Wisconsin | $106,750 | 26% below national |
| 39 | Massachusetts | $103,230 | 29% below national |
| 40 | Louisiana | $99,670 | 31% below national |
| 41 | Arkansas | $99,490 | 31% below national |
| 42 | South Dakota | $98,530 | 32% below national |
| 43 | Iowa | $95,200 | 34% below national |
| 44 | Mississippi | $91,480 | 37% below national |
| 45 | Wyoming | $89,650 | 38% below national |
| 46 | West Virginia | $86,390 | 40% below national |
| 47 | District of Columbia | $35,940 | 75% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 46 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $192,500 | +33% above national |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $188,930 | +31% above national |
| 3 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $184,930 | +28% above national |
| 4 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $182,890 | +26% above national |
| 5 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $182,310 | +26% above national |
| 6 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $181,200 | +25% above national |
| 7 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $180,090 | +25% above national |
| 8 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $178,920 | +24% above national |
| 9 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $176,110 | +22% above national |
| 10 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $172,490 | +19% above national |
| 11 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $169,350 | +17% above national |
| 12 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $169,230 | +17% above national |
| 13 | Jacksonville, FL | $166,940 | +15% above national |
| 14 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $164,240 | +14% above national |
| 15 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $159,120 | +10% above national |
| 16 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $158,620 | +10% above national |
| 17 | Anchorage, AK | $157,160 | +9% above national |
| 18 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $156,870 | +9% above national |
| 19 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $156,020 | +8% above national |
| 20 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $155,900 | +8% above national |
| 21 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $150,220 | +4% above national |
| 22 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $147,040 | +2% above national |
| 23 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $145,140 | same as national |
| 24 | Oklahoma City, OK | $142,380 | 2% below national |
| 25 | Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | $139,690 | 3% below national |
| 26 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $135,570 | 6% below national |
| 27 | Pittsburgh, PA | $131,730 | 9% below national |
| 28 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $131,360 | 9% below national |
| 29 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $130,060 | 10% below national |
| 30 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $123,920 | 14% below national |
| 31 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $123,860 | 14% below national |
| 32 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $121,680 | 16% below national |
| 33 | Clarksville, TN-KY | $121,580 | 16% below national |
| 34 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $119,560 | 17% below national |
| 35 | Colorado Springs, CO | $117,770 | 19% below national |
| 36 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $116,920 | 19% below national |
| 37 | Savannah, GA | $116,830 | 19% below national |
| 38 | Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | $107,700 | 26% below national |
| 39 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $104,040 | 28% below national |
| 40 | Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | $101,690 | 30% below national |
| 41 | Fairbanks-College, AK | $101,190 | 30% below national |
| 42 | Columbia, SC | $100,510 | 30% below national |
| 43 | Alaska nonmetropolitan area | $92,890 | 36% below national |
| 44 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $92,120 | 36% below national |
| 45 | Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area | $86,050 | 40% below national |
| 46 | Upper East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | $81,780 | 43% below national |
Related Occupations
Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors
SOC 53-1041
Aircraft Service Attendants
SOC 53-6032
Airfield Operations Specialists
SOC 53-2022
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
SOC 53-2011
Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians
SOC 53-3011
Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants
SOC 53-6031
Bridge and Lock Tenders
SOC 53-6011
Bus Drivers, School
SOC 53-3051