Air Traffic Controllers
SOC 53-2021 · 2024-2034
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.
How the U.S. Department of Labor describes this work. Published in English only.
What California expects of this job
- Typical pay in California
- $163,584per year
- Projected openings
- 2,640
- Projected change
- +12%
- Usually needs
- Associate's degree
Skills this work uses most
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, rates how important each of these is to this work, and they are listed in that order, most important first. The ratings themselves are not shown, because the data carries the number without the scale it was measured on. The names are as published, in English.
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Monitoring
- Complex Problem Solving
Pay by region
| Region | Typical pay in California | Projected openings |
|---|---|---|
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA (El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties) | $197,180 | 230 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $183,889 | 650 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) | $94,359 | 150 |
| Bakersfield-Delano MSA (Kern County) | Not reported | 90 |
| Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) | Not reported | 320 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA (San Diego County) | Not reported | 450 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA (Santa Barbara County) | Not reported | 50 |
What the pay actually ranges across
- The lowest-paid tenth earn under
- $82,732
- A quarter earn under
- $118,345
- Half earn under
- $163,584
- Three quarters earn under
- $212,216
- The highest-paid tenth earn over
- $230,620
A median is one point. These are the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for California, and they say how far apart the people doing this job actually are. Read them as the spread across everyone already in the work — not as a starting wage and not as a promise about where anyone lands.
Similar work
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, names these as occupations involving work similar to this one — its own reading of the job, not a grouping by code. They keep O*NET's order, and only those California publishes a projection for are shown.
| Occupation | Typical pay in California | Projected openings | Projected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airfield Operations Specialists | $63,970 | 1,740 | +12.5% |
| Commercial Pilots | $169,215 | 7,200 | +19.6% |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $361,647 | 13,570 | +11.3% |
| Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters | $71,481 | 1,120 | -6.7% |
| Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors | $61,855 | 1,730 | +13.3% |
| Locomotive Engineers | $78,757 | 1,130 | -6.3% |