How to hire air traffic controllers
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Alert airport emergency services in cases of emergency or when aircraft are experiencing difficulties. • Direct pilots to runways when space is available or direct them to maintain a traffic pattern until there is space for them to land. • Inform pilots about nearby planes or potentially hazardous conditions, such as weather, speed and direction of wind, or visibility problems. • Maintain radio or telephone contact with adjacent control towers, terminal control units, or other area control centers to coordinate aircraft movement. • Monitor aircraft within a specific airspace, using radar, computer equipment, or visual references. • Monitor, direct, or sequence the movement of aircraft within an assigned air space or on the ground at airports to minimize delays and maximize safety. • Provide flight path changes or directions to emergency landing fields for pilots traveling in bad weather or in emergency situations. • Transfer control of departing flights to traffic control centers and accept control of arriving flights. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Associate's degree] • Strong active listening, speaking, critical thinking, monitoring, active learning and reading comprehension skills • Working knowledge of transportation, English Language, public safety and security and education and training • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $71.19 an hour ($148,080 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for air traffic controllers
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to alert airport emergency services in cases of emergency or when aircraft are experiencing difficulties. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to direct pilots to runways when space is available or direct them to maintain a traffic pattern until there is space for them to land. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to inform pilots about nearby planes or potentially hazardous conditions, such as weather, speed and direction of wind, or visibility problems. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to maintain radio or telephone contact with adjacent control towers, terminal control units, or other area control centers to coordinate aircraft movement. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What air traffic controllers do
- Alert airport emergency services in cases of emergency or when aircraft are experiencing difficulties.
- Direct pilots to runways when space is available or direct them to maintain a traffic pattern until there is space for them to land.
- Inform pilots about nearby planes or potentially hazardous conditions, such as weather, speed and direction of wind, or visibility problems.
- Maintain radio or telephone contact with adjacent control towers, terminal control units, or other area control centers to coordinate aircraft movement.
- Monitor aircraft within a specific airspace, using radar, computer equipment, or visual references.
- Monitor, direct, or sequence the movement of aircraft within an assigned air space or on the ground at airports to minimize delays and maximize safety.
- Provide flight path changes or directions to emergency landing fields for pilots traveling in bad weather or in emergency situations.
- Transfer control of departing flights to traffic control centers and accept control of arriving flights.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for air traffic controllers
- Typical education to start: Associate's degree (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 6 months to 1 year (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Long-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: +1.7% over ten years, little or no change · about 2,100 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay air traffic controllers
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Virginia | $191,820 |
| Illinois | $181,560 |
| Georgia | $178,420 |
| Colorado | $177,380 |
| Minnesota | $176,840 |
| Florida | $147,530 |
| New York | $144,960 |
| District of Columbia | $47,760 |
See air traffic controllers pay in every state
Related hiring guides
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- Commercial Pilots
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- Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors
- Traffic Technicians
- Locomotive Engineers
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance
- Transportation Inspectors
- Public Safety Telecommunicators
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Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.