Air Traffic Controller
Engineering
Direct aircraft safely through takeoff, en route airspace, and landing.
Why it matters here: FAA facilities near BWI, Dulles, and Reagan National hire regionally.
Labor Market — DMV Region
Sourced from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS releases (DMV metro and nationwide) plus MD, VA, and D.C. workforce agencies.
Local cost of living is why DMV pay often differs from the national median.
- DMV & state figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — OEWS wage & employment estimates and Employment Projections, with OEWS area pay relatives for the Washington–Arlington–Alexandria metro, Maryland, D.C., and Northern Virginia · View source
- Occupation profiles & skills: O*NET OnLine (U.S. Department of Labor) · onetonline.org
All salary figures are published estimates for groups of workers, not offers or guarantees for any individual role.
Education & Career Pathways
Multiple ways to get here — pick the one that fits your life.
Career Progression
How you can grow — with expected salary at each step.
- Entry-level Air Traffic ControllerLearning the role, supervised work, building core skills.$103,550
- Air Traffic Controller (experienced)Independent work, mentoring newer team members.$149,740
- Senior / Lead Air Traffic ControllerOwning projects, specialization, higher responsibility.$196,200
- Manager or specialist trackSupervising a team or moving into a high-demand specialty.$235,440
Skills Required
What you'll actually do — and how you'll be judged.
Radar room or tower cab, rotating shifts, intense focus periods
Where you work
A dim radar room or a glass tower cab overlooking runways, at a facility like Potomac TRACON or a regional tower.
Hours and schedule
Rotating shifts covering 24 hours, including nights, weekends and holidays; mandated breaks between position sessions.
Pace and pressure
Extremely intense while on position, with required rotation off because sustained focus has limits.
Who you work with
You hand off traffic constantly to controllers beside you and at neighboring facilities.
Physical demands
Seated or standing at a scope with total concentration; medical and vision standards apply.
What people wear
Business casual; facility-specific.
Remote reality
None.
Workplace culture: what's normal here
- Phraseology is standardized word for word to eliminate ambiguity.
- Position relief briefings are formal and complete before you take the headset.
- Reporting your own errors is protected and expected in the safety reporting system.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook — Work Environment, with regional detail for the DMV.
Official data behind this career
Federal statistics for DMV Region, translated into plain language.
Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV metro area
Source: U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates (tables DP03, DP02, DP05)
- The DMV functions as one labor market: workers routinely cross state lines to get to work.
- The largest employment destinations are D.C., Fairfax County and Montgomery County.
Top places these workers go to work
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — BEA regional GDP and personal income, most recent published year
Private-sector payroll data from ADP. It is a supplemental near-real-time indicator and does not replace BLS government employment statistics.
Source: ADP National Employment Report — Most recent monthly ADP National Employment Report
- 1U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH, OEWS, Employment Projections, CES) — Primary source for occupation wages, outlook, projected openings, education and training.
- 2U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey — Primary source for income, educational attainment, labor force and demographic context by place.
- 3Census LEHD (LODES / OnTheMap) — Primary source for where workers live versus where they work, and local workforce flows.
- 4U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Primary source for regional GDP, industry contribution, compensation and personal income.
- 5ADP National Employment Report — Supplemental near-real-time private-sector employment and pay indicator. Not a replacement for BLS.
Figures describe groups of workers, not any one person. Where an official figure is not published for a category, this page says “Data unavailable for this category.” rather than estimating.
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