Air traffic controllers didn’t get paid during the government shutdown. Here’s how much they make normally.

• US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy claimed that new air traffic controllers start their careers earning $180,000.

• This is too far. Most new controllers earn about $55,000, according to three ATCs and their unions.

• Business Insider examined their pay scales to get a clearer picture of their salaries.

Longest government shutdown in US history It ended Wednesday, and air traffic controllers, who can do very stressful jobs, are finally getting paid again.

Controllers have gone more than a month without pay, receiving two $0 checks since October. With the government reopening, they will now receive their full remaining salaries and many will have to pay overdue bills.

Closure reignites row over controller pay after Transport Secretary Sean Duffy in question on x new hires start at $180,000 and you can earn up to $400,000. But the National Air Traffic Controllers Association and three employed controllers told Business Insider that those numbers are insubstantial and that it will take years for most controllers to reach those levels.

“The majority of our controllers don’t make anywhere near that money, especially on the $400,000 side,” said NATCA union president Nick Daniels, adding that new hires start in the mid-five figures. Washington, D.C.-based controller Pete LeFevre said some of his colleagues: returned to gig work during the shutdown Because they live paycheck to paycheck.

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics shows the estimated average annual wage for controllers is about $137,000. The two controllers say their contracts, last negotiated in 2016, have failed to keep up with inflation. It includes a 1.6% annual increase and has been extended until at least 2029.

When asked for clarification on Duffy’s comments, a Department of Transportation spokesperson told Business Insider that within three years of leaving the academy, “the average certified professional controller earns more than $160,000 per year.”

President Donald Trump made the threat on Monday. withholding some refund from controllers who got permission? Controllers will receive their back wages starting Saturday.

To better understand how much controllers earn, from new graduates to experienced controllers, Business Insider reviewed the pay scale published by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The annual base pay range is wide, approximately $55,000 to $225,700, due to the controller’s experience and the volume of flights at their facilities; Their compensation is adjusted according to the cost of living in that region.

This is before any incentive or overtime pay. Here’s a closer look at how controller salary is determined, as well as the salaries of the lowest and highest earners.

Most new controllers are approaching $55,000

Pay increases with experience and facility complexity. The FAA assigns each location a level from 4 to 12; higher levels handle more traffic and offer higher rates.

new controllers Graduates of the ATC academy in Oklahoma City or those who earned their qualifications through other means, such as college, start at about $55,000 to $68,000, according to the FAA table. This is independent of the facility level.

Those located in high-cost areas or with busier facilities earn more. San Francisco, for example, is at the top of this range, where tower controllers earn about $68,000 per year. Controllers can work up to 10 hours per day and six days per week. Overtime is often required.

Daniels said months of training are required at the FAA Academy to become a controller, and about 40% of interns pass this training. It costs about $100,000 to train a candidate, he added.

air traffic control mission Maintaining distance between planes by using radar and other flight tracking tools and communicating with pilots.

The high attrition rate, with the workforce missing nearly 3,000 controllers, is increasing pressure on an already strained system.

Graduates then undergo extensive on-the-job training at one of three types of FAA facilities, according to NATCA:

• Air Traffic Control Tower or ATCT: Controls airport traffic on the ground and approximately 30 miles away.

• Terminal Radar Approach Control, or TRACON: Manages departures and arrivals at altitudes up to approximately 17,000 feet, approximately 20 to 50 miles from the airport.

• Airline Traffic Control Center or ARTCC: Manages high altitude road traffic above 17,000 feet over large areas of land and sea.

Some airports combine towers and TRACONs for efficiency. New controllers often start in lower-level facilities.

For example, the price of a Level 4 tower in Erie, Pennsylvania starts at around $55,000. The same base rate applies to most facilities nationwide: St. Petersburg, Florida’s Level 7 tower also starts at just under $55,000.

However, cost-of-living adjustments increase the base wage in more expensive areas—for example, Manchester, New Hampshire’s Level 4 tower starts at about $61,700, as it is in the Boston area.

As graduates complete each step toward full certification, tuition increases and facility level becomes a factor. Salary usually rises to the high five figures after a few years. Once fully certified, these controllers close to or exceeding the six-figure mark.

The maximum base salary for Erie is approximately $95,700. According to the FAA table, it costs about $108,300 in Manchester and $108,300 in St. In St. Petersburg, it goes up to $132,600.

The highest-paid controllers handle the most traffic

The densest sky brings the biggest paycheck. While many controllers start at lower-level towers and TRACONs, some are assigned to higher levels from the start if they have prior experience or meet FAA staffing requirements.

Fully certified controllers on a Level 8 tower in Milwaukee can earn a base salary of up to $153,200; Level 9 Minneapolis tops out around $176,500; and Level 12 facilities like the Chicago O’Hare tower or the Southern California TRACON in the San Diego area reach $225,700.

Many controllers trained especially to go to a Level 10 to 12 hub. Serving millions of aircraft annually, these ARTCCs offer higher fares in exchange for higher traffic volumes.

At the Seattle headquarters, which oversees 300,000 square miles across six states, controllers can eventually earn up to $209,000, including cost-of-living adjustments.

Yet in Seattle, the first-year base salary is about $61,000. about $62,000 in Southern California and about $57,000 in Milwaukee; So no matter what, controllers will spend years at lower pay levels before moving into higher tax brackets.

Beyond base pay, controllers receive incentive pay for working at facilities that are more difficult to staff, and bonus pay for working overtime, nights, Sundays or holidays.

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