FAA ATC Pay Bands and Facility Levels Explained

Air traffic controllers are not paid on the General Schedule. They sit on the Air Traffic Specialized Pay Plan, where your salary is a function of two things: the level of the facility you work at, and your career level within it. Understanding that grid explains why two controllers with identical experience can be $80,000 apart.

This page covers how the structure works. For what controllers actually take home on average, see our salary guide.

Facility levels: 4 to 12

Every FAA air traffic facility is assigned a level, running from 4 at the quietest up to 12 at the busiest. The level reflects traffic volume and complexity, and it is the largest single driver of controller pay. A tower handling light general aviation traffic is a different pay proposition from a major terminal radar facility or an en route centre, for the same job title.

In the ATSPP tables the levels carry letter codes — Dx for level 4, Ex for 5, Fx for 6, Gx for 7, Hx for 8, Ix for 9, Jx for 10, Kx for 11 and Lx for 12.

Career levels within a facility

The second axis is how far through training you are:

• AG — the academy and new-hire rate.
• D1, D2, D3 — developmental stages, paid at roughly 25%, 50% and 75% of the way toward full certification.
• CPC/TMC/TMS — Certified Professional Controller, Traffic Management Coordinator or Traffic Management Specialist. Full certification.

This is what the FAA means when it says pay rises as you progress: each stage moves you up a row, and certifying moves you into the top band for your facility's level.

The published band table

The figures below are the ATSPP pay bands effective 12 January 2025, exclusive of locality pay, as published by the FAA and circulated by NATCA. Certified Professional Controller band, by facility level:

• Level 4 — $60,547 to $81,736
• Level 5 — $68,721 to $92,772
• Level 6 — $75,939 to $102,516
• Level 7 — $83,912 to $113,280
• Level 8 — $92,723 to $125,176
• Level 9 — $102,456 to $138,315
• Level 10 — $117,827 to $159,065
• Level 11 — $124,007 to $167,412
• Level 12 — $130,212 to $175,785

The academy and new-hire AG rate in the same table is flat across every facility level at $46,560 — facility level does not affect pay until you are working at one.

The developmental bands sit between the two. At a level 12 facility, for instance, the D1 band runs $67,474 to $88,390, D2 runs $88,390 to $109,299, and D3 runs $109,299 to $130,212 — which is also the floor of the CPC band. Note also that D1 and D2 do not exist at the lowest levels: the table shows N/A for D2 at levels 4 and 5, and for D1 at levels 4, 5 and 6.

These are band limits, not salaries. Where you fall inside a band depends on your own pay-setting history, and the FAA notes that calculations from the table "may vary by $1 due to rounding". Your offer paperwork is the authority for your own number.

Locality pay sits on top

Every figure above excludes locality pay, which is then added according to where the facility is. The FAA's ATSPP tables carry separate sheets for locality areas including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, Seattle and Washington, plus a "Rest of United States" rate and an international rate.

This compounds the facility-level effect, because high-level facilities tend to sit in high-locality metropolitan areas. It is the main reason published averages vary so widely.

The ceiling

There is a statutory cap. The FAA's table notes: "Pay rates for FAA employees, including locality pay, are capped by law at $225,700 — the rate for level II of the Executive Schedule (P.L. 104-264 paragraph 40122 c)."

That cap covers base plus locality. It does not describe typical controller earnings; it is the legal maximum for FAA employees generally.

How the numbers you see quoted fit in

Several official figures circulate, and they measure different things:

• $22.61 an hour. The FAA's hiring page rate for trainees during Academy training.
• $45,782. The minimum basic salary on permanent appointment after the Academy, stated in the February 2025 trainee announcement, "plus applicable locality pay based on duty location".
• Around $60,000. The same announcement's estimate of the average once training progresses.
• $158,000. That announcement's figure for the average Certified Professional Controller in the preceding year.
• $155,000+. The FAA hiring page's statement that average certified earnings exceed this "within 3 years of Academy graduation".

None of these contradict each other — they are different points on the same progression. The announcement puts it plainly: "Generally, most controllers are making a six-figure salary within three years."

Why you do not choose your facility level

Placement is assigned, not requested. The FAA's position is that "after graduating from the Academy, you'll choose your first facility from a list of locations with the greatest staffing needs", and that declining to choose "will result in termination of employment, as placement will be based upon the needs of the FAA."

So your starting facility level — and therefore your starting pay band — is largely determined by where the FAA needs people when your class graduates. Movement to higher-level facilities later is a normal part of a controller career, but it is not something you control at entry. Our FAA Academy guide covers how placement works.

First, the test

All of this is downstream of the Air Traffic Skills Assessment, which is where most applications end. Our preparation guide covers the sections, the free demos let you try each one, and full access is on the pricing page.

Frequently asked questions

What pay scale are air traffic controllers on?

The Air Traffic Specialized Pay Plan (ATSPP), not the General Schedule. Pay is set by facility level and career level, plus locality pay.

What are FAA facility levels?

A rating from 4 to 12 reflecting traffic volume and complexity. Level 12 facilities are the busiest and carry the highest pay bands.

How much does a level 12 controller earn?

The CPC band at a level 12 facility ran $130,212 to $175,785 exclusive of locality pay under the tables effective 12 January 2025. Locality pay is added on top.

What is the maximum an FAA controller can be paid?

FAA pay including locality is capped by law at $225,700, the rate for level II of the Executive Schedule.

Do trainees get facility-level pay?

No. The academy and new-hire AG rate is the same at every facility level; facility level starts to matter once you are placed.

Can I pick a high-level facility to earn more?

Not at entry. You choose from a list of facilities with the greatest staffing needs after graduating, and declining to choose results in termination.