US Air Traffic Controller Salaries Should Be Much Higher

 

The mean -or average- yearly salary of an air traffic controller (ATC) in the United States was $95K in January of 2025, according to payscale.com. For comparison, the average Spanish ATC earns the equivalent of $470K US each year, while Irish ATCs' average earnings are the equivalent of $160K US per year, both in US dollars.

ATCs have the lives of hundreds of people in their hands at any one time. They should be paid to reflect that responsibility; but they’re not. 

Let’s say I haul out the ‘ole magic wand and double their average salary, making it $190K. 

And let’s say the currently required psychological testing in the hiring process is significantly expanded. Specifically, testing would more accurately determine the degree to which candidates possess the skills and personality traits necessary to perform well in continuous high pressure, technical situations. Concomitantly, these scores would be given more weight in hiring decisions. 

And let’s assume hiring decisions are based on merit. 

The result would be many more applicants overall, including those earning scores at the highest end of both the personality tests and the Air Traffic Skills Assessment. 

Staffing redundancy should also be required. (There is currently a shortage of ATCs.) Ideally, there would be one alternate ATC on site for every two ATCs on duty. All would be on a rotation schedule and paid the same. 

Of course, the technology they use should be the latest. This will require massive upgrades. 

ATC Trainers should be of equally high caliber and sufficient in number to accommodate the spike in the number of ATCs this approach would produce. 

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So, for a lot of money, we can eventually have the most psychologically suited to be, and most technically effective, ATCs available.

What to do during the 3 year ramp up, and where the funds to do all of this come from, are questions yet to be answered.