Air traffic controllers
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.
Air traffic controllers 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. The role reports a median annual salary of $144,580 in the US and is showing modest growth of 1% over the next decade. Entry typically requires a Associate's degree, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.40 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include airport planning, aircraft flight control systems, pre-flight procedures for IFR flights, electrical systems used in transportation, electronics.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £82,746 a year for Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 3511). ONS rates this estimate acceptable: it rests on a small sample, so treat it as a rough guide. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Technicians and associate professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Air traffic controllers, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 3. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
How to get here in India
The usual route into this career in India. Each step links to the official page it comes from.
- 1 · Qualification B.Sc (3 years) with Physics and Maths, or a B.E. / B.Tech in any branch[1]
- 2 · Entrance exam Airports Authority of India computer based test for Junior Executive (Air Traffic Control)[1]
- 3 · First role Junior Executive (ATC) at AAI, with training towards an ATC licence and ratings[1]
Rules change: check the exam body's and regulator's current notice before you apply.
- Airports Authority of India — Junior Executive (ATC) advertisement 02/2025 (read on 2026-09-27)
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Transportation
- English Language
- Public Safety and Security
- Education and Training
- Customer and Personal Service
- Geography
- Telecommunications
- Mathematics
A day in the life
You start your shift with a briefing on the weather, closed runways and any expected problems, then take over your position from the outgoing controller. You watch the radar screens and the view from the tower, keeping track of every aircraft in your airspace. You talk to pilots constantly, giving clearances to land and take off and warning them about nearby traffic and changing winds. When the runway is busy you ask arriving aircraft to hold in a pattern until there is space. You hand departing flights over to the next control centre and accept arriving flights from them. Mid-shift a pilot reports a problem with an engine, so you clear the way, guide them to the nearest runway and alert the emergency services. After your break you return to the busiest period of the day. The intense concentration can be draining. But guiding a crowded sky safely through a busy afternoon brings a real sense of achievement.
Illustrative: one typical day, written from the O*NET task statements for this occupation. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- 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.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Air traffic controllers do?
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 does a typical day look like in Air traffic controllers?
You start your shift with a briefing on the weather, closed runways and any expected problems, then take over your position from the outgoing controller. You watch the radar screens and the view from the tower, keeping track of every aircraft in your airspace. You talk to pilots constantly, giving clearances to land and take off and warning them about nearby traffic and changing winds. When the runway is busy you ask arriving aircraft to hold in a pattern until there is space.
How much does Air traffic controllers earn?
The median annual salary for Air traffic controllers in the US is $144,580.
What is the job outlook for Air traffic controllers?
The role is showing modest growth of 1% over the next decade. Current US employment is approximately 24,100 workers.
How do I become air traffic controllers?
The typical entry education is a Associate's degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Air traffic controllers need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include airport planning, aircraft flight control systems, pre-flight procedures for IFR flights, electrical systems used in transportation, electronics, air transport law. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Air traffic controllers?
Our AI-durability model gives Air traffic controllers a score of 0.40 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Air traffic controllers has very high barrier to entry — very highly gated — extended graduate education, licensure, or years of specialised training are required.