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Air Traffic Controllers in Washington

Want to work as an Air Traffic Controllers in Washington? Here’s what the data says. Control air traffic on and within vicinity of airport, and movement of air traffic between altitude sectors and control centers, according to established procedures and policies. Authorize, regulate, and control commercial airline flights according to government or company regulations to expedite and ensure flight safety.

What do Air Traffic Controllers Make in Washington?

For air traffic controllers working in Washington, wages run about $164,070 per year (or roughly $78.88/hour).Annual wages span from $84,120 at the 10th percentile to $209,330 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$84,120	$40.44
25th percentile	$108,990	$52.40
Median (50th)	$164,070	$78.88
75th percentile	$187,800	$90.29
90th percentile	$209,330	$100.64

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in Washington compared to the national average — is 1.16, indicating that air traffic controllers are more concentrated here than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, air traffic controllers earn a median of $46,187 per year ($22.21/hour), higher than the Washington median.

Employment Outlook

There are roughly 502,845 air traffic controllers nationwide. In Washington alone, approximately 600 people work in this role. That’s more than the typical state, which employs around 240 air traffic controllers.

Top Washington Metros for Air Traffic Controllers

The largest metro-area employers of air traffic controllers in Washington.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	500	$169,350

Top States for Air Traffic Controllers Employment

The table below shows the states where the most air traffic controllers work.

State	Number Employed
California	2,260
Texas	2,020
Florida	1,980
New York	1,190
Virginia	1,130
Illinois	1,000
Georgia	970
Colorado	780
District of Columbia	700
Minnesota	630
Indiana	620
Tennessee	610
Washington	600
Alaska	500
North Carolina	440
Pennsylvania	410
Kansas	410
Michigan	380
Arizona	380
New Mexico	360

Highest-Paying States for Air Traffic Controllers

The highest-paying states for air traffic controllers.

State	Annual Median Salary
Virginia	$185,890
Minnesota	$176,030
Illinois	$175,090
Georgia	$174,600
Colorado	$172,310
Texas	$167,710
Washington	$164,070
Kansas	$156,620
Utah	$156,120
Indiana	$155,790

Skills

The most important air traffic controllers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Key knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

The abilities that matter most for air traffic controllers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Day-to-day, air traffic controllers typically:

• 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.
• 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.

Work Activities

• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Getting Information
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Processing Information
• Training and Teaching Others
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
• Analyzing Data or Information
• Thinking Creatively
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work

Tools & Technology

Technologies frequently used: Hot technologies: Adobe Acrobat In-demand technologies: Microsoft Excel

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Programs that train for this career include:

• Air Transportation

Related Careers

Other careers like air traffic controllers include:

• Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers
• Public Safety Telecommunicators
• Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance
• Avionics Technicians
• Power Distributors and Dispatchers
• Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors

Also Known As

Access Control Specialist, Air Route Controller, Air Route Traffic Controller, Air Traffic Control Operator, Air Traffic Control Specialist (ATCS), Air Traffic Control Support Specialist (ATC Support Specialist), Air Traffic Controller (ATC), Air Traffic Coordinator, Air Traffic Manager, Aircraft Communicator, Airline Dispatcher, Airport Tower Controller, Airport Traffic Controller, Airway Controller, Airway Traffic Controller.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 53-2021.00