Budget cuts by the Federal Aviation Administration are fueling the largest salary scale back in the air traffic control field. New hires, those currently in training in Oklahoma City and those currently in CTI schools such as my current university, University of North Dakota, are facing $20,000 to $40,000 cuts in salary compared to those in the field now. The FAA claims that under their proposal, a trainee entering in 2007 will earn $93,400 by 2011. However, that would only be the case in the highest paid facilities where the FAA does not historically assign new hires. The FAA is obscuring the facts by basing their figures on these highly paid facilities.
The following table gives a much fuller picture, demonstrating how much a newly hired controller will earn at various facilities across the country after five years, comparing the current system, the FAA’s proposed pay structure and NATCA’s most recent pay offer.
In busy airports such as those in San Francisco, Los Angles, Seattle, Chicago, New York, and Atlanta, new hires, if assigned to those locations, can expect a salary drop of nearly $30,000 dollars compared to their counterparts that just entered the industry a year ago.
For instance, in San Francisco, which is considered a busy airport because of the number of landings coming from domestic and international sources, new hires can expect to only earn 2/3’s of what similar counterparts are earning.
Current Salary after 5 Years: $131,905
National Air Traffic Controller Association’s Offer: $117,027
Federal Aviation Administration’s Offer: $88,234
The FAA wants to cut the salary in San Francisco for new hires by over $43,000!
The story is similar in Los Angles:
Current Salary after 5 Years: $120,878
NATCA’s Offer: $117,968
FAA’s Offer: $83,023
The salary cuts are not contained to the larger airports either, St. Louis, which is considered a midsized market, has controllers taking a sizable cut too. Nearly a $40,000 pay cut for new hires.
Current Salary after 5 Years: $121,393
NATCA’s Offer: $107,759
FAA’s Offer: $82,871
One of the US's busiest airspace is Cleveland Center in Ohio.
Current Salary after 5 Years: $119,644
NATCA’s Offer: $116,055
FAA’s Offer: $86,500
I am not getting into the field for just the money. I doubt any of the air traffic controllers are in the field for the money. They are there because they love the industry. They love what they do. However, cutting salary by over $40,000 at some of the world’s busiest airports is not the way to keep the brightest, most talented people keeping our skies safe. Let your congressmen know how much you want to keep our skies safe.
For a closer look at your airport, check out these numbers.
FAA.gov
Budget cuts by the Federal Aviation Administration are fueling the largest salary scale back in the air traffic control field. New hires, those currently in training in 
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