What are the pros and cons of being an air traffic controller?

The pros of being an air traffic controller include job stability, good earning potential, and the satisfaction of ensuring safe and efficient air travel, while the cons involve high stress levels, demanding work schedules, and the need to maintain constant focus and attention to detail.



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Being an air traffic controller is an extremely high-stress job, with workers responsible for the movement and direction of thousands of lives onboard commercial and general aviation aircraft every day.

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Air traffic controllers receive 13 to 26 days of paid vacation and 13 days of paid sick leave each year. They are eligible to retire at age 50 with 20 years of service as an active air traffic controller or after 25 years of active service at any age.

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Controllers train for many years to qualify for the job, and only around 1% of applicants make it through to qualify. Initially, a controller will spend approximately 12 months studying both the practical and theoretical sides of air traffic control at a specialist college.

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Research has shown that when controllers remain on position for more than two hours without a break, performance can deteriorate rapidly, even at low traffic levels. Many national regulations, therefore, require breaks at least every two hours.

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For example, in a large airport tower, several controllers may be speaking with different pilots at the same time. Math skills. Controllers must be able to do arithmetic accurately and quickly. They often need to compute speeds, times, and distances, and they recommend heading and altitude changes.

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Compared to most occupations, those who work as an Air Traffic Controller are usually higher in their Enterprising and Conventional interests. Air Traffic Controllers typically have very strong Enterprising interests. Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects.

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Air traffic controller is a six-figure job that doesn't require a four-year degree. People with this position are responsible for making sure that aircraft are operating at a safe distance from each other.

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Most air traffic controllers do not have a traditional work schedule of Monday through Friday, from 9 am to 5 pm each day. The reason for this is that their services are critical and are needed around the clock. That's why most air traffic controllers work rotating schedules in a 24-hour period.

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And then there's the issue of age: In the US, air traffic controllers are required to retire at the age of 56, and the FAA won't hire anyone older than age 31, because they want candidates to have at least a 25-year career path. “We have 1,200 fewer air traffic controllers today than we had 10 years ago,” says Freeman.

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Air traffic controllers typically work around 40 hours per week. However, specific air traffic controller work schedules may vary, and depend on several different factors, including: The airport they work for. The type of air traffic they are responsible for directing.

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For a lot of people, becoming a controller is a dream job, but getting there is not easy and must be done through specific channels, like applying to the FAA's periodic job openings or joining the military. Moreover, FAA applicants must be 30 or younger, with few exceptions.

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Some functions of ATC (air traffic control) are manned 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When air traffic controllers are hired as trainees by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), they choose a geographical area in which they want to work.

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Top companies for Air Traffic Controllers in United States
  • Federal Aviation Administration. 4.1 $125,736per year. 417 reviews42 salaries reported.
  • US Navy. 4.2 $66,788per year. ...
  • United States Department Of Defense. 4.2 $53,262per year. ...
  • U.S. Army. 4.3 $51,996per year. ...
  • Serco Group. 3.4 $49,836per year. ...
  • Show more companies.


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Over the past five years, the FAA has hired over 7,200 new air trafic controllers. In FY 2020, we exceeded our target with 920 controller hires versus a plan of 910 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Being responsible for the safety of aircraft and their passengers may be stressful and exhausting. To prevent burnout, the FAA requires controllers to retire at age 56.

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While accidents involving airplanes have become exceedingly rare in the United States, they do still occur. In many instances, these accidents are directly related to some form of negligence on part of an airliner or individual, including air traffic controllers.

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