Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
U.S. civil aviation regulator and operator of the national air traffic control system; the employer of nearly all U.S. air traffic controllers.
Overview
The FAA regulates civil aviation in the United States and runs the air traffic control system through its Air Traffic Organization. It employs more than 14,000 air traffic controllers at towers, TRACONs, and en route centers across the country, plus the technicians (Airway Transportation Systems Specialists) who maintain radar, navigation, and communications equipment, aviation safety inspectors, and engineers. Controller jobs are filled through announcements on USAJOBS rather than a standing application, and new hires are trained and paid at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City before on-the-job training at a facility. The agency has been in a hiring surge since 2025 and said in September 2026 that about 4,000 controllers were in its training pipeline.
Student Insights
Basic requirements for a controller job
You must be a U.S. citizen, be under age 31 when you apply, speak English clearly, pass a medical exam and security investigation, and pass the Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA), a roughly 3.5-hour computer-based aptitude test taken at a Pearson VUE center. You also need one year of progressively responsible work experience, a bachelor's degree, or a combination of college and work that adds up to one year. No aviation background is required for the general-public announcement. The FAA says fewer than 10% of applicants meet the requirements and are accepted into training.
Three ways in: general public, CTI, and prior experience
Most new controllers apply through a general-public announcement on USAJOBS, then attend the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City for several months (paid) before 1-3 years of on-the-job training at an assigned facility anywhere in the country. Graduates of standard AT-CTI college programs skip the introductory Air Traffic Basics course at the Academy but still attend for option-specific training. Graduates of Enhanced AT-CTI programs (13 schools as of September 2026) who earn the FAA endorsement can be placed directly at a facility without attending the Academy, but still must pass the ATSA and the medical and security checks. The FAA also runs a year-round hiring track for experienced controllers from the military and private industry.
Pay, benefits, and incentives
The FAA lists Academy pay starting at $22.61 per hour with health and housing benefits, and says certified controllers average more than $155,000 per year within three years of Academy graduation. In May 2025 the FAA also announced financial incentives for new hires who complete initial training milestones and for Academy graduates assigned to hard-to-staff facilities; the FAA described these as limited-time and has not published current amounts, so check the hiring page for what is actually on offer when you apply. Controllers can retire at age 50 with 20 years of service, and separation is mandatory at age 56 under 5 U.S.C. 8335(a).
AI Outlook
The FAA's 2025 workforce plans name artificial intelligence as one of the technology changes its controller and safety workforces must adapt to. Air traffic control itself remains a human-performed job, and current modernization spending is focused on radar, voice switches, electronic flight strips, and replacing copper lines with fiber.
Student Hiring
Typical Roles
Notable Programs
- FAA Academy (Oklahoma City)
- Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) and Enhanced AT-CTI
- Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA)
- FAA Contract Tower Program
- UAS Collegiate Training Initiative (UAS-CTI)
Career Connections
AeroEd career pathways relevant to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Air Traffic Control
The voice that keeps the skies safe
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The brains behind every cockpit
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The hands that keep aircraft flying
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Design what flies — and what flies beyond
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From first flight to the flight deck
Explore Pathway →Drone & UAV Ops
The fastest-growing frontier in aviation
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