The 2024 application window is open April 19-22, 2024.

The application process can take 6 months or longer. Applicants must complete these steps in the following order and cannot continue unless the previous step is met:

1. Apply to the vacancy announcement meeting the basic qualifications mentioned above. Reference the ATC Application Checklist.
2. Pass the Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA) and achieve a score within a certain percentile. You will have up to 3 1/2 hours to complete the test in person at an approved testing facility. 
3. Pass medical and security clearance, including:
   • Drug testing 
   • Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI2)
   • Class II Medical Exam/Physical
   • Fingerprinting 
   • Federal background check

Entry-level applicants must complete required training courses and spend several months at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City. After graduating the academy, individuals are placed in locations across the country and must gain 1-3 years on-the-job experience before becoming a certified professional controller.

Trainee controller Lillian told Secretary Pete she wanted to be a controller when she was 12 years old. She fulfilled her dream. You can too.

Controllers work full time and some work additional hours. Many of our facilities operate continuously (24/7/365), where employees work day, evening and night shifts, along with weekends and holidays.

While attending the academy, trainees receive $35,947 - $37,145 pay and the Oklahoma City per diem for living expenses. After FAA Academy training, and assignment to a facility, developmental ATCs receive a minimum annual wage of $45,782 plus locality pay for the facility assigned to them. 

The salaries for entry-level air traffic controllers increase as they complete each training phase. The annual salary for more advanced controllers varies with the location of the facility, the complexity of the airspace, and other factors.

As a federal employee, air traffic controllers receive a benefits package that rivals, if not surpasses, those offered in the private sector - with a variety of insurance, retirement, leave, and flexible spending options for employees and their families.