How to Become an Air Traffic Controller: Requirements, Training & the FAA Hiring Process
Updated: September 2026
Air traffic controllers are among the most crucial workers in aviation, ensuring flight safety and air travel efficiency across the National Airspace System.
If you’re wondering how to become an air traffic controller, or how to become an ATC in the USA, this guide covers the full path: air traffic controller requirements, air traffic controller schooling options, air traffic controller training at the FAA Academy, and what the job actually demands day to day.
We’ll walk through the FAA’s current 5-phase hiring process step by step, then compare it with Canada’s NAV CANADA process for readers weighing both paths.
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An air traffic controller directs the safe, orderly, and efficient flow of aircraft, guiding pilots during takeoff and landing, managing traffic on runways, and monitoring aircraft from the moment they leave the gate to the moment they land.
The scale of the job is significant. The FAA employs more than 14,000 controllers working across over 400 locations nationwide, monitoring roughly 50,000 flights a day during peak travel periods and safeguarding an estimated 2.9 million daily passengers.
Depending on the facility, the day-to-day work looks different:
Every air traffic controller position, regardless of facility type, comes down to the same core responsibility: keeping aircraft safely separated in real time, with no room for error.
Before you can train as an air traffic controller, whether through the FAA Academy, a CTI school, or the military, you’ll need to clear the FAA’s baseline air traffic controller requirements:
If you’re specifically considering air traffic controller schooling through an AT-CTI program, there are program-level details worth knowing before you enroll:
No CTI program, standard or enhanced, guarantees a job. Every graduate still has to apply for an FAA hiring announcement, pass the ATSA, and clear medical, security, and background requirements like any other applicant.
Not sure which training route fits you? Our ATSA PrepPack™ is built for anyone entering the FAA pipeline, whether you’re coming from a CTI school, the military, or straight off the street.
All civilian ATCs in the United States are employees of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA posts job listings for both trainee and experienced Air Traffic Control Specialists every few months.
The Federal Aviation Administration employs around 14,000 ATCs, including terminal, airport, and en route controllers. About 2,000 join the force yearly to compensate for ATCs retiring or leaving.
Openings for ATC positions are listed on USAJobs. The requirements for joining the FAA as an Air Traffic Control Specialist may change between listings, depending on several factors.
Let's go over the different routes to becoming an FAA controller.
Many ATC listings require past educational experience, past progressively responsible work experience, or a combination of both, as part of the FAA’s air traffic controller requirements for a given hiring announcement.
If you’re qualifying on education alone, you’ll need documentation showing you completed a four-year bachelor’s degree in any field from an accredited institution.
Alternatively, the FAA runs a collaborative project with schools nationwide called the Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) Program, the main path for air traffic controller schooling outside the military. CTI programs are two or four-year aviation degrees that include air traffic control and aviation administration coursework.
Graduating a CTI program doesn’t guarantee a job in an air traffic control facility. CTI graduates are still required to apply for an FAA hiring announcement and go through the same application process as any other candidate.
A CTI certification does give you a practical edge once you’re in the pipeline: any AT-CTI graduate bypasses the Air Traffic Basics Course, the first five weeks of qualification training at the FAA Academy. Graduates of schools with the separate Enhanced AT-CTI designation go further, bypassing the Academy entirely and moving straight into facility-based air traffic controller training.
You can skip both the college degree and the FAA Academy Basic Training by gaining ATC Work Experience through the military, such as the US Air Force. Any ATC experience will continue to be relevant for five years after you are finished. You can be an ATC through the Army (Military Occupational Specialty 15Q), Air Force (1c1x1), Navy, or Marine Corps (7257).
All four branches will get you a Control Tower Operator (CTO) credential and Veterans’ Preference when applying with the civilian FAA.
If you’re joining the military as an ATC, you’ll likely need to pass the ASVAB exam first.
After applying for an Air Traffic open position, candidates are divided into two pools according to their prior experience.
Graduates from an institution participating in the Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI) program who have received an appropriate recommendation.
Veterans eligible for a Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA) and who can provide a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty within 120 days of the announcement closing.
Eligible veterans maintaining aviation experience obtained in the course of his/her military experience and/or a veteran entitled to veterans' preference.
Covers all eligible U.S. citizens who do not meet the requirements for Pool 1.
Meeting the air traffic controller requirements on paper is only part of the job. The role also demands a specific mix of cognitive and interpersonal skills that the FAA tests directly through the ATSA:
These aren’t soft skills in the usual sense. They’re the exact abilities the ATSA is designed to measure, and the reason preparation matters as much as raw aptitude. You can see how each of these maps to a specific test section on our air traffic controller test overview.
Meeting the air traffic controller requirements doesn’t guarantee a career with the FAA. The agency now runs hiring as a five-phase process, and ATC hopefuls have to clear all five: applying, passing a challenging cognitive assessment, clearing medical and security screening, completing FAA Academy training, and finishing on-the-job training.
Here’s how the FAA’s current process breaks down:
The first step is submitting your application to an FAA hiring announcement on USAJobs. The application window for inexperienced candidates typically opens once a year, usually between April and July. Build your application profile and your resume using the USAJobs resume builder to make sure your experience is calculated correctly, capped at two pages.
Get the full list of required documents (transcripts, a CTI endorsement letter, or a DD Form 214 for veterans’ preference) on the official FAA page.
Your resume should speak directly to the skills covered in our Essential Skills for Air Traffic Controllers section above: decision-making under pressure, sustained attention, spatial reasoning, clear communication. Frame past experience (military, aviation, or otherwise) around these abilities wherever you can show them.
Note: while applying, you’ll be asked for your race, sex, and nationality. This information is collected for statistical analysis. The FAA wants to make sure its announcements reach all levels of society, and your answers won’t affect your chances of being hired.
Candidates who meet the minimum air traffic controller requirements receive an invitation to schedule and complete the ATSA exam, a challenging pre-employment test. The FAA administers it through Pearson VUE at designated testing centers, and it lasts about 3.5 hours.
Many questions on the ATSA are unique and won’t be found in any other test. Preparation matters, since only top scorers pass and move on to the next phase (an estimated 2.5–6%, per our own data). We recommend getting familiar with the test format and practicing well before your exam date, ideally starting at least a month out.
Once ATSA scores are calculated, the highest-scoring candidates move forward in the hiring process. From there, applicants go through:
Timing for this phase varies by candidate and location and isn’t publicly fixed by the FAA.
Becoming a fully Certified Professional Controller (CPC) is a multi-year commitment that starts with the FAA Academy and continues at your assigned facility.
New trainees attend the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City for several months of option-specific (terminal or en route) initial air traffic controller training, combining classroom instruction on regulations and procedures, radar simulations, and hands-on exercises. Trainees are paid $22.61/hr during Academy training, with full health and housing benefits provided.
How much of the Academy you attend depends on your path in: standard AT-CTI graduates skip the first five weeks (the Air Traffic Basics Course), Enhanced AT-CTI graduates and most military-experienced candidates bypass the Academy entirely, and everyone else attends the full program.
After the Academy, trainees are assigned to an ATC facility nationwide, where they complete 1 to 3 years of on-the-job training under a certified controller, progressively certifying on different positions and sectors within that facility through a mix of written and practical evaluations. Only after clearing every position does a trainee become a fully Certified Professional Controller (CPC), able to work independently.
Not every trainee makes it through Academy training. A meaningful share of trainees don’t complete the program, though the FAA doesn’t currently publish a specific washout rate.
It’s also possible to fail at field (on-the-job) training after passing the Academy. In these cases, the FAA is more likely to try to retain the trainee, sometimes by transferring them to a different facility. Some trainees who don’t complete the Academy are offered other aviation jobs within the FAA.
You can reapply for a future FAA hiring announcement, but a previous failure may affect your chances. A Flight Service Station (FSS) position in Alaska is also sometimes available as an alternate path.
Becoming an air traffic controller is as demanding as it is rewarding. Here’s an honest look at what candidates and working controllers commonly find hardest:
None of this is a reason to avoid the career. It’s a reason to prepare deliberately, starting with the ATSA, since that’s the stage where preparation makes the most measurable difference.
The estimated average pay for air traffic controllers in the FAA is about 124,421$ per year (according to Indeed). The air traffic controller salary range is broad, with most ATCs being paid between $73,590 and $189,800 annually. The expected salary depends on various factors such as the locality level (compensation for high-cost living areas), facility level (the complexity of airspace and operations the facility handles), and the ATC level of experience. Previous college/work experience does not influence ATC pay.
Based on the U.S. Department of Labor reports of air traffic controller pay in May 2022.
Premium pay rates are also added to air traffic controllers' pay for various factors such as holidays, night shifts, and overtime.
During the FAA Academy, your employment is considered temporary, as it may be terminated if you do not pass. As an academy trainee, you will be paid per diem rates to reimburse you for the cost of living.
Air traffic controller trainees are paid 34,135$—35,273$ per year plus living expenses (102.80$ per day) during their time at the FAA Academy. After graduating, they receive a starting salary of $43,727 per year plus locality pay once they begin on-the-job training at an assigned facility (official FAA information). As entry-level air traffic controllers advance through training, their base salary increases.
Air traffic controllers get a minimum of 23 vacation days per year. As they build seniority, that number jumps to 36. They also receive full health, vision, and dental coverage, along with life insurance, savings plan and a comprehensive retirement plan.
Due to the stressful nature of the work, shifts cannot last longer than 10 hours, and back-to-back shifts are not allowed.
More about these benefits and perks can be found on the official FAA page.
If you’re weighing how to become an air traffic controller in the US against training with NAV CANADA, whether because you hold dual citizenship, you’re open to relocating, or you’re simply comparing options, here’s how the two paths actually differ.
| United States | Canada | |
| Employer | Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a US federal agency | NAV CANADA, a private non-profit corporation |
| Citizenship | US citizen | Canadian citizen or permanent resident |
| Age | Under 31 at application (exceptions apply for prior ATC experience) | 18 or older |
| Language | Fluent English | Fluent English; French also required for the Montreal Flight Information Region |
| First assessment | ATSA, a 3.5-hour, in-person, computer-based test at a Pearson VUE center | NAV CANADA online assessment, a timed, roughly 30-minute online test, followed by the FEAST test. |
| If you don’t pass | Reapply on a future hiring announcement (no fixed public wait period) | Reapply after 1 year |
| Formal training center | FAA Academy in Oklahoma City: several months of classroom, simulation, and hands-on instruction | Regional Area Control Center or tower-specific training, no single national academy |
| On-the-job training | 1 to 3 years to Certified Professional Controller (CPC) status | Additional months of specialty training plus continued on-the-job evaluation |
Both paths test similar underlying abilities (reasoning, memory, spatial awareness, concentration) through different exams, timelines, and employers. If how to become an ATC in Canada specifically is your focus, our NAV CANADA Online Assessment prep is built around that country’s process directly, and our FEAST test prep covers the in-person testing day’s simulation-style content.
As covered in the Minimum Requirements section above, most ATC announcements require some combination of previous work experience and education, on top of the FAA’s baseline air traffic controller requirements:
The FAA’s hiring process and air traffic controller training vary from candidate to candidate and can take up to 2 years before you start on the job. Reaching Certified Professional Controller (CPC) status can take up to 6 years from your first application.
Becoming an air traffic controller is hard. The application and training process is demanding and competitive, and understanding how to become an ATC successfully means treating the ATSA, medical clearance, and Academy training as three separate hurdles, not one. Those who make it to the academy are expected to undergo additional challenging selection tests.
In the US, you have to be under 31 to apply to be an air traffic controller. However, if you have at least one full year of ATC work experience (FAA, civilian, or military), you can apply even if you're older than 31.
The ATC age limit set by the FAA guarantees Air Traffic Controllers gain 25 years of experience qualifying them for a federal pension, before they have to retire at the age of 56 (due to safety regulations). The only exception to the air traffic control age limit is for former military air traffic controllers, who are allowed to begin work with the FAA even if they are older than 31.
There are several reasons why the FAA enforces a universal retirement age of 56 for Air Traffic Control Specialists.
The job itself is demanding: larger Control Centers, as well as Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACONs) facilities and Airport Control Towers around major airports, operate around the clock and require working in shifts.
ATCs must remain focused for each shift, all while working in dim rooms full of screens.
Therefore, the forced retirement age is intended to ensure mental fortitude and prevent burnout.
Under federal pension rules, some ATCs are also eligible for early retirement after 20 years of service.
The pay for ATCs differs between control centers because of differences in work pressure and the cost of living in each area. While most federal jobs follow a pay scale called the General Schedule (GS), the FAA has its own pay scale.
Field trainees can start at around 75,000 yearly. However, the FAA offers the possibility of climbing the ranks. The highest-paying administrators and supervisors can make over 200,000 per year, with 225700 being the official cap mandated by law. Your salary will increase significantly as you complete more stages of your on-the-job training.
According to the US Department of Labour, the median salary for federal air traffic controllers in May 2023 was 137,380. Half of all ATCs made more than this amount, and half made less. The top ten percent of ATCs made over 200,990 USD, and the bottom 10 percent made less than 76,190 USD
No. Any discount offered by airlines to air traffic controllers may be considered bribery if it is not offered to the general public. In the same vein, ATCs are barred from owning stock in airline companies. Investing in index funds (like the S&P 500) or mutual funds that indirectly include airline stocks is generally allowed, because the ATC doesn't control or directly benefit from the performance of a single company in those funds.
The FAA used to offer a Flight Deck Training (FDT) Program. This voluntary initiative was designed to enhance air traffic controllers' understanding of flight operations and the National Airspace System. Through this program, eligible FAA air traffic control specialists can observe flight operations firsthand from the flight decks of participating aircraft, including those operated by air carriers, air cargo, air taxi services, general aviation, government, and military entities.
The FDT Program was halted during the Covid-19 pandemic and has yet to be reinstated.
There is a very high demand for air traffic controllers, and the number of vacancies grows every year, with many FAA facilities becoming short-staffed.
The FAA aims to hire about 2,000 ATC trainees each year. While the demand is high, the supply is also quite significant. This means the competition can be rather fierce, despite the fact that the FAA is always hiring.
Some math is required for the pre-employment exams and during academy training. This partially contributes to the Academy's fail rate. However, the job itself does not require advanced math beyond simple operations such as those you might use naturally in everyday life.
The Air Traffic Skills Assessment is designed to ensure only candidates with a high probability of success make it into the FAA Academy. As such, it is not an easy exam. However, it is not designed to measure knowledge so much as soft skills. Prior preparation and going in well-rested and relaxed can make a big difference.
Only an estimated 2.5–6% of candidates pass the ATSA, per our own data. Those who pass move forward in the FAA’s hiring process.
Failing the ATSA does not bar a candidate from reapplying in the following FAA hiring bid.
