Air Traffic Controllers in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell Metro

BLS metro-level wage data places Air Traffic Controllers pay in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA at a median of $186,640 per year ($89.73/hr), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared with the national median of $148,080, the metro estimate is +26% above. OEWS reports the difference but does not identify its cause. Approximately 810 air traffic controllers are employed across the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell MSA in SOC 53-2021.

The Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell pay distribution spans from $111,160 at the 10th percentile to $217,590 at the 90th, a 2.0× observed spread. Differences in specialization, employer, sector, location, credentials, schedule, and experience may all contribute, but OEWS does not isolate their effects. The 25th percentile sits at $166,380 and the 75th at $209,370, so half of Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell-based air traffic controllers earn within that middle band.

Metro figures use establishment work location, not worker residence. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. OEWS includes straight-time pay, tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses. It excludes employer health and retirement benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, signing bonuses, and other nonproduction bonuses. The same occupation's national profile, statewide GA estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.