Career Profile: Career Profile - Air Traffic Controllers

Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 22,900 people employed as career profile - air traffic controllers in the United States. The median annual salary is $129,750. Entry level employees earn approximately $71,880 per year and senior employees earn approximately $185,990 per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• Monitor or direct the movement of aircraft within an assigned air space or on the ground at airports to minimize delays and maximize safety.
• Direct pilots to runways when space is available or direct them to maintain a traffic pattern until there is space for them to land.
• Monitor aircraft within a specific airspace, using radar, computer equipment, or visual references.
• Direct ground traffic, including taxiing aircraft, maintenance or baggage vehicles, or airport workers.
• Contact pilots by radio to provide meteorological, navigational, or other information.
• Maintain radio or telephone contact with adjacent control towers, terminal control units, or other area control centers to coordinate aircraft movement.
• Determine the timing or procedures for flight vector changes.
• Initiate or coordinate searches for missing aircraft.
• Provide on-the-job training to new air traffic controllers.
• Check conditions and traffic at different altitudes in response to pilots' requests for altitude changes.
• Relay air traffic information, such as courses, altitudes, or expected arrival times, to control centers.
• Inspect, adjust, or control radio equipment or airport lights.
• Compile information about flights from flight plans, pilot reports, radar, or observations.
• Organize flight plans or traffic management plans to prepare for planes about to enter assigned airspace.
• Review records or reports for clarity and completeness and maintain records or reports, as required under federal law.
• Complete daily activity reports and keep records of messages from aircraft.
• Conduct pre-flight briefings on weather conditions, suggested routes, altitudes, indications of turbulence, or other flight safety information.
• Analyze factors such as weather reports, fuel requirements, or maps to determine air routes.
• Inform pilots about nearby planes or potentially hazardous conditions, such as weather, speed and direction of wind, or visibility problems.
• Issue landing and take-off authorizations or instructions.
• Transfer control of departing flights to traffic control centers and accept control of arriving flights.
• Provide flight path changes or directions to emergency landing fields for pilots traveling in bad weather or in emergency situations.
• Alert airport emergency services in cases of emergency or when aircraft are experiencing difficulties.

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