Air Traffic Controllers
SOC code 53-2021 · Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $78,420 | $37.70 |
| 25th percentile | $104,520 | $50.25 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $148,080 | $71.19 |
| 75th percentile | $190,570 | $91.62 |
| 90th percentile | $215,610 | $103.66 |
See where a wage ranks
Estimate only, based on linear interpolation between this occupation's BLS OEWS reported percentiles above.
Wages by state (May 2024)
State-level employment and wage estimates for Air Traffic Controllers (SOC 53-2021), from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) State estimates, May 2024. Data available for 45 of 51 states/DC for this occupation.
| State | Employment | Mean annual | Median annual | 10th pctl annual | 25th pctl annual | 75th pctl annual | 90th pctl annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 230 | $115,750 | $112,740 | $78,020 | $98,500 | $136,300 | $156,980 |
| Alaska | 500 | $125,090 | $120,370 | $60,400 | $91,440 | $162,410 | $184,950 |
| Arizona | 380 | $135,590 | $130,960 | $85,220 | $106,430 | $166,250 | $190,760 |
| Arkansas | 110 | $89,000 | $99,490 | $40,500 | $42,710 | $116,750 | $130,100 |
| California | 2,260 | $152,970 | $152,010 | $83,570 | $111,220 | $201,300 | $221,890 |
| Colorado | 780 | $153,010 | $172,310 | $74,260 | $103,400 | $196,600 | $207,130 |
| Connecticut | 70 | $127,160 | $121,910 | $84,240 | $95,760 | $148,430 | $191,820 |
| District of Columbia | 700 | $77,660 | $35,940 | $35,940 | $35,940 | $133,160 | $192,440 |
| Florida | 1,980 | $139,910 | $144,710 | $84,420 | $103,400 | $172,410 | $192,300 |
| Georgia | 970 | $157,770 | $174,600 | $76,300 | $117,230 | $193,460 | $213,370 |
| Hawaii | 220 | $139,560 | $142,040 | $63,710 | $100,480 | $179,650 | $200,470 |
| Idaho | 60 | $118,390 | $117,150 | $89,020 | $106,410 | $136,570 | $143,770 |
| Illinois | 1,000 | $156,590 | $175,090 | $75,490 | $106,560 | $201,990 | $221,890 |
| Indiana | 620 | $142,480 | $155,790 | $80,680 | $104,080 | $176,900 | $197,200 |
| Iowa | 90 | $96,620 | $95,200 | $73,720 | $81,470 | $110,320 | $131,060 |
| Kansas | 410 | $148,420 | $156,620 | $80,060 | $117,150 | $175,030 | $195,310 |
| Kentucky | 210 | $121,680 | $126,550 | $71,140 | $99,490 | $148,450 | $165,480 |
| Louisiana | 240 | $106,710 | $99,670 | $80,180 | $87,340 | $121,580 | $147,390 |
| Maryland | 110 | $116,650 | $114,620 | $83,190 | $83,190 | $135,470 | $164,010 |
| Massachusetts | 130 | $121,900 | $103,230 | $72,390 | $83,290 | $163,510 | $193,400 |
| Michigan | 380 | $130,110 | $113,650 | $75,430 | $94,220 | $173,740 | $202,490 |
| Minnesota | 630 | $164,870 | $176,030 | $92,520 | $131,890 | $198,870 | $220,920 |
| Mississippi | 130 | $94,890 | $91,480 | $71,380 | $81,780 | $114,630 | $124,700 |
| Missouri | 240 | $119,520 | $115,440 | $84,970 | $100,280 | $139,320 | $162,700 |
| Nebraska | 70 | $108,150 | $108,990 | $79,540 | $91,040 | $119,200 | $143,640 |
| Nevada | 210 | $139,740 | $147,700 | $75,820 | $107,680 | $175,880 | $196,270 |
| New Jersey | 210 | $142,650 | $135,470 | $82,860 | $105,100 | $182,190 | $208,250 |
| New Mexico | 360 | $136,090 | $145,290 | $73,720 | $112,860 | $165,460 | $182,250 |
| New York | 1,190 | $151,270 | $142,190 | $70,050 | $107,240 | $209,230 | $221,890 |
| North Carolina | 440 | $130,610 | $120,580 | $85,650 | $97,930 | $165,780 | $186,310 |
| North Dakota | 80 | $117,150 | $121,470 | $81,950 | $97,930 | $136,760 | $142,380 |
| Oklahoma | 250 | $123,710 | $121,580 | $81,330 | $99,490 | $144,580 | $167,480 |
| Oregon | 180 | $111,190 | $113,030 | $68,250 | $78,110 | $136,280 | $156,710 |
| Pennsylvania | 410 | $136,770 | $129,310 | $79,280 | $96,320 | $178,840 | $211,600 |
| Rhode Island | 50 | $121,410 | $123,610 | $86,010 | $98,300 | $145,560 | $149,910 |
| South Carolina | 190 | $111,060 | $107,330 | $81,270 | $91,480 | $128,750 | $139,400 |
| South Dakota | 50 | $96,200 | $98,530 | $70,260 | $80,060 | $110,120 | $117,750 |
| Tennessee | 610 | $144,150 | $153,670 | $89,860 | $114,170 | $175,280 | $195,420 |
| Texas | 2,020 | $155,660 | $167,710 | $88,310 | $109,300 | $196,580 | $219,360 |
| Utah | 350 | $147,090 | $156,120 | $92,230 | $137,510 | $168,040 | $183,270 |
| Virginia | 1,130 | $171,440 | $185,890 | $91,020 | $137,470 | $209,060 | $221,890 |
| Washington | 600 | $150,020 | $164,070 | $84,120 | $108,990 | $187,800 | $209,330 |
| West Virginia | 90 | $88,920 | $86,390 | $71,260 | $77,070 | $98,690 | $106,560 |
| Wisconsin | 140 | $108,330 | $106,750 | $73,850 | $85,050 | $128,860 | $148,870 |
| Wyoming | 40 | $95,190 | $89,650 | $77,630 | $80,200 | $106,560 | $113,650 |
Hourly by-state wages are in the source dataset but not rendered here (annual only, to keep this table a manageable width); see the source link below for the full file. BLS suppresses some state-level figures for reliability: an em dash (—) means BLS did not publish that figure for this state and occupation. Per BLS’s own field definitions: "*" = a wage estimate is not available; "**" = an employment estimate is not available; "#" = a wage equal to or greater than $115.00 per hour or $239,200 per year (all three are shown here as —, not guessed). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), State occupational employment and wage estimates, May 2024.
Similar-paying occupations in Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
- Commercial Pilots 53-2012$123,220/yr
- Ship Engineers 53-5031$109,530/yr
- Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels 53-5021$92,460/yr
- Transportation Inspectors 53-6051$92,100/yr
- Subway and Streetcar Operators 53-4041$86,380/yr
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 estimates. Wage figures are BLS OEWS estimates and may not reflect current pay.