What it pays
Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.
Half of all Air Traffic Controllers in the U.S. earn more than $148,080 a year — the middle 80% land between $78,420 and $215,610. About 22,510 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Air Traffic Controllers”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Plant and machine operators and assemblers earn about ₹17,329 a month on average — around ₹2.1 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$148,080typical pay / year
22,510people in this work
$215,610+top 10% earn
₹2.1 lakha year in India (family avg)
Think you get this job?Six quick questions on how it really works — with a hint and the reason behind every answer.
Test yourself →The work, task by task
These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.
Move5
Maintain direct communication with pilots
+Keep an open two-way radio link with Flight 482 heavy on frequency 118.5, give turn and altitude…
Maintain direct communication with pilots
+Keep an open two-way radio link with Flight 482 heavy on frequency 118.5, give turn and altitude confirmations every five minutes while it crosses my sector, and escalate immediately to the supervisor if transmissions drop or readback errors occur.
The tools that do the workAutomated radar terminal systems ARTSESCOjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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Coordinate air traffic to ensure safety
+Sequence Departures 12, 14 and Arrival 7 for runway 27R to maintain three-minute intervals, issue climb and…
Coordinate air traffic to ensure safety
+Sequence Departures 12, 14 and Arrival 7 for runway 27R to maintain three-minute intervals, issue climb and heading restrictions aligned with the wind report, and notify ground operations and the duty manager if any aircraft cannot meet the assigned profile.
The tools that do the workCenter TRACON automation systems CTASESCOjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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Respond to emergencies and abnormal situations
+Declare an emergency for Flight 771 reporting smoke on board, instruct crew to squawk 7700, give immediate…
Respond to emergencies and abnormal situations
+Declare an emergency for Flight 771 reporting smoke on board, instruct crew to squawk 7700, give immediate vectors to the nearest suitable airport, notify rescue and fire services, and open a contingency frequency for inbound traffic coordination.
The tools that do the workAdvanced technologies and oceanic procedures ATOPjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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Direct aircraft during takeoff and landing
+Maintain longitudinal and lateral spacing by adjusting the speed of Departure 21 and Arrival 9 so both…
Direct aircraft during takeoff and landing
+Maintain longitudinal and lateral spacing by adjusting the speed of Departure 21 and Arrival 9 so both maintain two nautical mile separation over waypoint KILO, issue speed reductions as needed, and monitor closing rates until clear separation is re-established.
The tools that do the workCenter TRACON automation systems CTASESCOjob descriptionsO*NET
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Ensure safe distances between aircraft
+Apply standard separation minima for the three aircraft approaching final, issue immediate climb or descent…
Ensure safe distances between aircraft
+Apply standard separation minima for the three aircraft approaching final, issue immediate climb or descent instructions if predicted separation falls below minima, and coordinate with adjacent sectors and tower if tactical vectors are required.
The tools that do the workAutomated radar terminal systems ARTSjob descriptionsWikipedia
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Coordinate1
Coordinate handoffs between control sectors
+Coordinate the handoff of Flight 309 to Sector Charlie at waypoint VOR-D, confirm the assigned squawk and…
Coordinate handoffs between control sectors
+Coordinate the handoff of Flight 309 to Sector Charlie at waypoint VOR-D, confirm the assigned squawk and altitude with the receiving controller, and keep the aircraft on my frequency until they acknowledge transfer and radar handoff is completed.
The tools that do the workDirect-to-toolAutomated radar terminal systems ARTSjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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The daily work16
Ensure public safety and security
+Review tonight’s arrival and departure schedules, check live radar feeds for any conflicts or weather…
Ensure public safety and security
+Review tonight’s arrival and departure schedules, check live radar feeds for any conflicts or weather hazards, amend runway and taxi instructions to keep arriving flights separated by minima, and notify airport operations and the police if a security or safety breach is likely.
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Apply airport standards and regulations
+Audit the daily procedures against the airport’s standards handbook, flag any departures from published civil…
Apply airport standards and regulations
+Audit the daily procedures against the airport’s standards handbook, flag any departures from published civil aviation rules or runway operating limits, write corrective instructions for the shift log, and circulate the findings to the duty manager and compliance inspector for action.
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Manage aircraft taxiing on tarmac
+Manage aircraft taxiing on the ramp: sequence departing and arriving jets to avoid hot spots, assign runway…
Manage aircraft taxiing on tarmac
+Manage aircraft taxiing on the ramp: sequence departing and arriving jets to avoid hot spots, assign runway crossing times, coordinate with ground ops and the ramp supervisor, and hold any aircraft if pushback or ground vehicle conflicts arise.
The tools that do the workAutomated radar terminal systems ARTSjob descriptionsO*NET
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Make continuous decisions regarding aircraft routing
+Make continuous routing decisions for en route traffic: reroute flights around weather cells and congested…
Make continuous decisions regarding aircraft routing
+Make continuous routing decisions for en route traffic: reroute flights around weather cells and congested sectors, issue altitude or speed changes to preserve separation, and coordinate handoff times with adjacent sectors to prevent stacking.
The tools that do the workCenter TRACON automation systems CTASO*NETWikipedia
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Use radar and communication equipment
+Operate radar and radio to maintain safe ops: monitor primary and secondary returns, call pilots with…
Use radar and communication equipment
+Operate radar and radio to maintain safe ops: monitor primary and secondary returns, call pilots with clearances, update squawk and handoff instructions, and log any radio readback errors for the sector log.
The tools that do the workAdvanced technologies and oceanic procedures ATOPjob descriptionsWikipedia
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Complete daily activity reports and keep records of messages from aircraft.
+Complete the daily activity report and archive pilot messages: compile sector movements, record lost comms or…
Complete daily activity reports and keep records of messages from aircraft.
+Complete the daily activity report and archive pilot messages: compile sector movements, record lost comms or deviations, attach timestamped transcripts of pilot exchanges, and file the report with the operations desk before shift change.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft OutlookO*NET
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Analyze factors such as weather reports, fuel requirements, or maps to determine air routes.
+Analyze weather, fuel and chart data to plan routes: review METARs and SIGMETs for sector impact, calculate…
Analyze factors such as weather reports, fuel requirements, or maps to determine air routes.
+Analyze weather, fuel and chart data to plan routes: review METARs and SIGMETs for sector impact, calculate fuel alternates and holding fuel, then publish the preferred routing and contingency options to pilots and dispatch.
The tools that do the workAutomated radar terminal systems ARTSO*NET
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Requalify annually through medical examinations
+Prepare for annual requalification medicals: gather my recent duty logs, latest vision and hearing test…
Requalify annually through medical examinations
+Prepare for annual requalification medicals: gather my recent duty logs, latest vision and hearing test results, and the required shift attendance record, then book the occupational health exam and forward all documents to the medical reviewer.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft Outlookjob descriptions
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Update and maintain flight information displays
+Update the live departure and arrival boards with the latest callsigns, destinations, gate assignments and…
Update and maintain flight information displays
+Update the live departure and arrival boards with the latest callsigns, destinations, gate assignments and estimated times, verify each change against the flight progress strips and controller log, and publish the refreshed displays within ten minutes.
The tools that do the workAutomated radar terminal systems ARTSWikipedia
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Manage workload under time pressure
+Reallocate sector tasks between Alex and Priya for the next two-hour rush, move non‑urgent handoffs to the…
Manage workload under time pressure
+Reallocate sector tasks between Alex and Priya for the next two-hour rush, move non‑urgent handoffs to the afternoon slot, log the changes on the duty board, and brief the oncoming controller in five minutes so no sector exceeds safe workload.
The tools that do the workCenter TRACON automation systems CTASWikipedia
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Aircraft flight control systems
+Run a systems health check on the primary flight control inputs, confirm autopilot coupling and transponder…
Aircraft flight control systems
+Run a systems health check on the primary flight control inputs, confirm autopilot coupling and transponder squawk integrity for all IFR tracks, document any faults in the technical log, and escalate failures to engineering immediately.
The tools that do the workAdvanced technologies and oceanic procedures ATOPAutomated radar terminal systems ARTSESCOsee the evidence ↗
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Carry out navigational calculations
+Calculate heading and groundspeed adjustments for three inbound aircraft on converging tracks, produce…
Carry out navigational calculations
+Calculate heading and groundspeed adjustments for three inbound aircraft on converging tracks, produce revised waypoints and time estimates, write the corrected vectors on the strips, and radio each pilot the updated clearance.
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Air transport law
+Review the latest NOTAMs and bilateral agreements affecting our FIR, summarise any changes to slot allocation…
Air transport law
+Review the latest NOTAMs and bilateral agreements affecting our FIR, summarise any changes to slot allocation and diversion rules for the shift report, and email the legal summary to duty manager before handover.
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Monitor aviation meteorology
+Pull the current METARs and TAFs for the approach and alternate aerodromes, flag any wind shear or…
Monitor aviation meteorology
+Pull the current METARs and TAFs for the approach and alternate aerodromes, flag any wind shear or thunderstorm alerts, update the briefing sheet and advise towers and crews of deteriorating conditions within five minutes.
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Center automation
+Update the center automation record for the downtown intersection control after the 14:30 signal failure,…
Center automation
+Update the center automation record for the downtown intersection control after the 14:30 signal failure, list error codes, manual timing applied, and assign a ticket to Traffic Systems Lead Maria for parts ordering by Friday.
The tools that do the workAutomated radar terminal systems ARTSO*NET
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Direct to
+update the direct to record for runway 27L arrival sequencing to reflect the 1400‑1600 flow, note the two…
Direct to
+update the direct to record for runway 27L arrival sequencing to reflect the 1400‑1600 flow, note the two light‑aircraft holds and the equipment outage, and save the direct to entry in the system before shift change.
The tools that do the workDirect-to-toolO*NET
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Says who?
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Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses