Air Traffic Controllers salary by state
The median air traffic controllers in the United States earned $144,580 a year in 2024, about $69.51 an hour. Across the 36 states reporting the occupation, pay runs from $185,890 in Virginia down to $35,940 in District of Columbia.
Transport and material moving SOC 53-2021
What the spread means
Pay for this occupation varies enormously by location. Virginia pays roughly 5.2 times what District of Columbia does for the same job title, which is a wider gap than most occupations show and usually points to differences in licensing, unionisation or the industries that employ these workers in each state.
A high median is not automatically a better deal. States that pay well for this work are frequently expensive places to live, and the same salary buys very different amounts of housing and energy depending on where it is earned. The state pages linked below carry electricity, gas and housing figures for the same places.
Highest paying states
Where the work is concentrated
Location quotient compares how common an occupation is in a state against how common it is nationally. A value of 2 means the state employs twice the national share of these workers. It is a better guide to where the jobs actually are than the raw count, which mostly tracks state population.
| State | Concentration | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 10.77× | 500 | $120,370 |
| District of Columbia | 6.79× | 700 | $35,940 |
| New Mexico | 2.87× | 360 | $145,290 |
| Kansas | 1.98× | 410 | $156,620 |
| Virginia | 1.92× | 1,130 | $185,890 |
Every state
| # | State | Median salary | Hourly | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employed | vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $185,890 | $89.37 | $91,020 | $221,890 | 1,130 | + 28.6% |
| 2 | Minnesota | $176,030 | $84.63 | $92,520 | $220,920 | 630 | + 21.8% |
| 3 | Illinois | $175,090 | $84.18 | $75,490 | $221,890 | 1,000 | + 21.1% |
| 4 | Georgia | $174,600 | $83.94 | $76,300 | $213,370 | 970 | + 20.8% |
| 5 | Colorado | $172,310 | $82.84 | $74,260 | $207,130 | 780 | + 19.2% |
| 6 | Texas | $167,710 | $80.63 | $88,310 | $219,360 | 2,020 | + 16% |
| 7 | Washington | $164,070 | $78.88 | $84,120 | $209,330 | 600 | + 13.5% |
| 8 | Kansas | $156,620 | $75.30 | $80,060 | $195,310 | 410 | + 8.3% |
| 9 | Utah | $156,120 | $75.06 | $92,230 | $183,270 | 350 | + 8% |
| 10 | Indiana | $155,790 | $74.90 | $80,680 | $197,200 | 620 | + 7.8% |
| 11 | Tennessee | $153,670 | $73.88 | $89,860 | $195,420 | 610 | + 6.3% |
| 12 | California | $152,010 | $73.08 | $83,570 | $221,890 | 2,260 | + 5.1% |
| 13 | Nevada | $147,700 | $71.01 | $75,820 | $196,270 | 210 | + 2.2% |
| 14 | New Mexico | $145,290 | $69.85 | $73,720 | $182,250 | 360 | + 0.5% |
| 15 | Florida | $144,710 | $69.57 | $84,420 | $192,300 | 1,980 | + 0.1% |
| 16 | New York | $142,190 | $68.36 | $70,050 | $221,890 | 1,190 | -1.7% |
| 17 | Hawaii | $142,040 | $68.29 | $63,710 | $200,470 | 220 | -1.8% |
| 18 | New Jersey | $135,470 | $65.13 | $82,860 | $208,250 | 210 | -6.3% |
| 19 | Arizona | $130,960 | $62.96 | $85,220 | $190,760 | 380 | -9.4% |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $129,310 | $62.17 | $79,280 | $211,600 | 410 | -10.6% |
| 21 | Kentucky | $126,550 | $60.84 | $71,140 | $165,480 | 210 | -12.5% |
| 22 | Oklahoma | $121,580 | $58.45 | $81,330 | $167,480 | 250 | -15.9% |
| 23 | North Carolina | $120,580 | $57.97 | $85,650 | $186,310 | 440 | -16.6% |
| 24 | Alaska | $120,370 | $57.87 | $60,400 | $184,950 | 500 | -16.7% |
| 25 | Missouri | $115,440 | $55.50 | $84,970 | $162,700 | 240 | -20.2% |
| 26 | Maryland | $114,620 | $55.11 | $83,190 | $164,010 | 110 | -20.7% |
| 27 | Michigan | $113,650 | $54.64 | $75,430 | $202,490 | 380 | -21.4% |
| 28 | Oregon | $113,030 | $54.34 | $68,250 | $156,710 | 180 | -21.8% |
| 29 | Alabama | $112,740 | $54.20 | $78,020 | $156,980 | 230 | -22% |
| 30 | South Carolina | $107,330 | $51.60 | $81,270 | $139,400 | 190 | -25.8% |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $106,750 | $51.32 | $73,850 | $148,870 | 140 | -26.2% |
| 32 | Massachusetts | $103,230 | $49.63 | $72,390 | $193,400 | 130 | -28.6% |
| 33 | Louisiana | $99,670 | $47.92 | $80,180 | $147,390 | 240 | -31.1% |
| 34 | Arkansas | $99,490 | $47.83 | $40,500 | $130,100 | 110 | -31.2% |
| 35 | Mississippi | $91,480 | $43.98 | $71,380 | $124,700 | 130 | -36.7% |
| 36 | District of Columbia | $35,940 | $17.28 | $35,940 | $192,440 | 700 | -75.1% |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-09. Figures cover wage and salary workers and exclude the self-employed. Methodology
Frequently asked questions
How much does a air traffic controllers make?
The national median is $144,580 a year, or about $69.51 an hour, as of the 2024 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey. Half of workers in the occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Which state pays air traffic controllerss the most?
Virginia, at a median of $185,890. Minnesota ($176,030) and Illinois ($175,090) follow. Pay that looks high often reflects a high cost of living rather than a better deal, so it is worth reading alongside what housing and energy cost in the same state.
How many people work as air traffic controllerss?
About 20,520 across the states reporting the occupation, against a national estimate of 22,400.
Is this figure a salary or an hourly rate?
Both are published. BLS surveys employers rather than workers, so these are wages paid rather than wages reported by employees, and they exclude self-employed people. Annual figures for occupations that are typically part-time or seasonal should be read with that in mind.