Career profile · SOC ESC-59B0CD96

air traffic instructor

Air traffic instructors train people in all the matters regarding with the operations in air navigation services such as the management of flight traffic and the communication for navigation in aerodromes. They teach all the directives issued by air traffic control for the purpose of passing to trainees the sense of safety and expeditious flow of air traffic.

air traffic instructor air traffic instructors train people in all the matters regarding with the operations in air navigation services such as the management of flight traffic and the communication for navigation in aerodromes. The role shows moderate AI exposure (0.47 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include geographic areas, procedures associated with different air navigation areas, air traffic management, geographic information systems, geographical routes.

AI exposure
4.7/10
automation risk

Pay in the UK

UK: median £42,218 a year for Further education teaching professionals (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)

Middle half of full-time jobs: £36,630 to £50,846 a year

UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 2312). ONS rates this estimate precise. 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 “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 instructor, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.

Urban India
₹42,717 a month
Rural India
₹30,424 a month
All India
₹38,466 a month

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 2. 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

Top skills

geographic areas procedures associated with different air navigation areas air traffic management geographic information systems geographical routes meteorology pedagogy air transport law air traffic control operations aviation meteorology

Knowledge you'll build

  • Education and Training
  • English Language
  • Mechanical
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Mathematics
  • Administrative
  • Engineering and Technology
  • Computers and Electronics

What you'd actually do

  • Observe and evaluate students' work to determine progress, provide feedback, and make suggestions for improvement.
  • Present lectures and conduct discussions to increase students' knowledge and competence using visual aids, such as graphs, charts, videotapes, and slides.
  • Supervise and monitor students' use of tools and equipment.
  • Administer oral, written, or performance tests to measure progress and to evaluate training effectiveness.
  • Provide individualized instruction and tutorial or remedial instruction.
  • Prepare reports and maintain records, such as student grades, attendance rolls, and training activity details.

Tools & technology you'd use

Microsoft Office software hot Microsoft PowerPoint hot Google Docs hot Microsoft Excel hot Microsoft Outlook hot Microsoft Word hot Blackboard Learn Blackboard software Calendar and scheduling software Career management systems CMS Collaborative editing software Common Curriculum

Frequently asked questions

What does air traffic instructor do?

Air traffic instructors train people in all the matters regarding with the operations in air navigation services such as the management of flight traffic and the communication for navigation in aerodromes. They teach all the directives issued by air traffic control for the purpose of passing to trainees the sense of safety and expeditious flow of air traffic.

What skills does air traffic instructor need?

The most in-demand skills for this role include geographic areas, procedures associated with different air navigation areas, air traffic management, geographic information systems, geographical routes, meteorology. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.

Will AI replace air traffic instructor?

Our AI-durability model gives air traffic instructor a score of 0.47 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.

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