Free Air Traffic Controller Job Description Template
Air traffic controller job description with FAA duties, CTO and medical requirements, age rules, and BLS salary data, plus a free reference template.
Air Traffic Controller Job Description Template
Duties, FAA requirements, age rules, and BLS salary, with a free reference template for federal and contract-tower roles.
The air traffic controller job description is unusual: it is one of the most searched-for roles in aviation, but almost nobody who reads it is a private employer about to post it. About nine in ten US controllers work directly for the FAA, hired through USAJobs and trained at the FAA Academy, and nearly all of the rest work for a handful of large federal contractors. There is essentially no small-business employer behind this title, so this page is built as an honest reference rather than a template most businesses will fill in and post.
That said, the role is worth understanding clearly, whether you are researching it as a career, transitioning from military air traffic control, or are one of the rare aviation services employers staffing a contract tower. Below are the duties, the demanding FAA requirements, the real salary data, and a clear picture of who actually employs controllers, with two reference templates: one for the federal role and one for the contract-tower role. The guide to writing a job description covers the fundamentals for the roles a small business does hire.
What Does an Air Traffic Controller Do?
An air traffic controller coordinates the safe, orderly, and efficient movement of aircraft on the ground and in the air. The work is high-stakes and continuous: directing aircraft, issuing instructions to pilots, maintaining separation, and managing traffic flow under pressure. In federal data, the occupation is air traffic controllers (SOC 53-2021).
Controllers work in three main facility types: tower controllers manage aircraft at and around an airport, TRACON controllers handle the busier airspace around airports using radar, and en route controllers manage aircraft during cruise between airports. A single flight is handed off between all three. The role demands fast decisions, constant situational awareness, and clear communication, which is why certification is long and rigorous.
Air Traffic Controller Duties and Responsibilities
Controller duties cluster into directing aircraft, communicating, managing traffic flow, and safety and response. These hold across tower, TRACON, and en route roles, with the specifics varying by facility.
Every duty here is safety-critical, which is what separates this role from most jobs and drives the demanding certification and medical requirements that follow.
FAA Requirements and Certification
Air traffic control has some of the strictest entry requirements of any occupation, and they differ between the federal path and the contract-tower path. The federal requirements are set by the FAA and federal law.
Federal controllers certify through the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City followed by one to three years of on-the-job training to reach Certified Professional Controller status. Contract-tower controllers, by contrast, must usually already hold a Control Tower Operator certificate with a facility rating under 14 CFR Part 65, since contractors typically hire experienced controllers rather than train from scratch.
Who Actually Employs Air Traffic Controllers?
This is the question that makes the air traffic controller job description different from almost every other role, and it is worth being direct about before you use any template.
2 Free Air Traffic Controller Reference Templates
Two honest reference templates: one describing the federal FAA role (a reference, since federal hiring runs through USAJobs, not job boards) and one for the contract-tower role an aviation services employer might use. Download both or copy the one you need.
Template 1: Air Traffic Controller (Federal / FAA Reference)
A reference describing the federal role, which is how about nine in ten US controllers are employed. Federal hiring runs through USAJobs and the FAA Academy, not third-party job boards, so this is for understanding the role, not posting it.
Template 2: Contract Tower Air Traffic Controller
For an aviation services employer staffing a tower under the FAA Contract Tower Program. Contract-tower controllers are typically experienced, hourly, and required to hold a CTO certificate with a facility rating.
Air Traffic Controller Pay
Air traffic control is among the highest-paying occupations that do not require a four-year degree, reflecting the responsibility and the demanding certification.
Pay rises with facility complexity and traffic volume, so controllers at the busiest towers and centers earn more, and federal developmental controllers see pay increase as they complete training levels. Contract-tower controllers are generally paid hourly, with pay varying by employer and facility.
| Measure | Value (May 2024) |
|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $144,580 |
| Lowest 10% | Under $76,090 |
| Highest 10% | Over $210,410 |
| Employment (2024) | About 24,100 jobs |
| Projected growth (2024-34) | 1% (slower than average) |
| Annual openings | About 2,200 per year |
FLSA and Employment Type
Air traffic controllers are generally non-exempt, meaning overtime-eligible, though the exact classification depends on the employer. For federal controllers, the Office of Personnel Management has determined that the role generally does not meet the executive, administrative, or professional exemptions. Contract-tower controllers are usually paid hourly and are likewise generally treated as non-exempt.
There is no clean professional exemption here, since the work, while highly skilled, does not fit the learned-professional test the way fields requiring an advanced specialized degree do. The exempt vs non-exempt guide covers how the duties tests work for roles a small business is more likely to hire. As always, confirm classification for the specific employer and role. This is general information, not legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an air traffic controller do?
An air traffic controller coordinates the safe, orderly, and efficient movement of aircraft on the ground and in the air. The core duties are consistent across facilities: monitoring and directing aircraft, issuing takeoff, landing, taxi, and routing instructions to pilots, maintaining safe separation between aircraft, controlling ground movement at runways and taxiways, communicating weather and hazard information, and coordinating emergency response when needed. Controllers work in three main facility types. Tower controllers manage aircraft at and around an airport, terminal radar approach control (TRACON) controllers handle aircraft in the busier airspace around airports, and en route controllers at air route traffic control centers manage aircraft during the cruise phase between airports. The work demands continuous situational awareness, fast decision-making, and clear communication under pressure, which is why training and certification are long and rigorous. In federal data, the occupation is classified under SOC 53-2021, and the overwhelming majority of US controllers are employed by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Who employs air traffic controllers in the US?
About 90% of US air traffic controllers work directly for the federal government through the Federal Aviation Administration. They staff FAA towers, terminal radar approach control facilities, and en route centers, and they are hired through USAJobs and trained at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City. The remaining roughly 10% work at smaller airports through the FAA Contract Tower Program, where the FAA contracts out staffing. Those contract towers are staffed by a small number of large multi-state contractors, not by the individual airports, so even though a single tower may have only a handful of controllers, the employer is a sizable government contractor with its own HR function. This matters for anyone looking at a job-description template: unlike most occupations, where a small local business is the typical employer, air traffic control has essentially no small-business employer base. The federal role is filled through USAJobs, and the contract-tower role is filled by established contractors, so the template here serves mainly as a reference rather than a posting a small business would place.
What are the requirements to become an air traffic controller?
Federal air traffic controllers face specific FAA requirements that go well beyond a typical job. To be hired by the FAA, an applicant must be a US citizen, be under age 31 at the time of application (with limited exceptions for those who have qualifying prior controller experience), pass the Air Traffic Skills Assessment, complete training at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City, and then complete one to three years of on-the-job training to become a Certified Professional Controller. Controllers must also hold a second-class (Class II) FAA medical certificate, pass FAA and DOT drug and alcohol testing and a federal background check, and speak English clearly and fluently. Contract-tower controllers, who work for FAA contractors at smaller airports, typically must already hold a Control Tower Operator certificate with a facility rating under 14 CFR Part 65 and a current Class II medical, since contractors usually hire experienced controllers, including retired federal and former military controllers, rather than train from scratch. The certification path is one of the most demanding in any occupation.
How much does an air traffic controller make?
Air traffic controllers are among the higher-paid occupations that do not require a four-year degree. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for air traffic controllers was $144,580 as of May 2024, with the lowest 10% earning less than $76,090 and the highest 10% earning more than $210,410. Pay rises with facility complexity and traffic volume, so controllers at the busiest towers, terminal radar facilities, and en route centers earn more than those at quieter facilities, and federal pay also increases as a developmental controller completes successive levels of training. Contract-tower controllers are generally paid an hourly wage rather than a federal salary, and their pay varies by employer and facility. The occupation is small and slow-growing: controllers held about 24,100 jobs in 2024, employment is projected to grow only 1% through 2034, and about 2,200 openings are projected each year, most of them to replace controllers who retire, which is significant given the mandatory retirement age of 56.
What is the age limit for air traffic controllers?
The FAA hires new federal air traffic controllers only before age 31, and federal controllers face mandatory retirement at age 56. The entry cap exists because of the retirement math: a controller hired at 31 can accumulate roughly 25 years of service before mandatory separation at 56, which is enough to qualify for full federal retirement benefits. There are limited exceptions to the entry age for applicants with qualifying prior air traffic control experience, such as some military controllers, but for new entrants the under-31 rule is firm and set by federal law. Importantly, these age rules bind federal employment, not contract-tower employment. Retired federal controllers commonly move to contract towers after age 56, where they continue working for FAA contractors without the federal age cap. So while age 31 and age 56 are hard walls in the federal system, they do not apply the same way to the private contract-tower employers that make up the non-federal share of the occupation.
Is an air traffic controller exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA?
Air traffic controllers are generally treated as non-exempt, meaning overtime-eligible, though classification ultimately depends on the employer and the specifics of the role. For federal controllers, the Office of Personnel Management has determined that air traffic control specialists generally do not meet the executive, administrative, or professional exemptions, so they are typically non-exempt. Private contract-tower controllers are usually paid an hourly wage and are likewise generally treated as non-exempt and overtime-eligible. There is no clean professional exemption for the role, since although the work is highly skilled, it does not fit the learned-professional test the way fields requiring an advanced specialized degree do, and other exemptions such as the Motor Carrier Act exemption do not apply to air traffic controllers. The practical result is that most controllers, federal and contract alike, are overtime-eligible. As always, classification should be confirmed for the specific employer and role rather than assumed from the title. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm with an employment attorney or your agency's classification guidance.
Can a small business hire an air traffic controller?
In practice, no, not in the conventional sense, because air traffic control is a federal and contractor occupation with no real small-business employer base. The authority to provide air traffic control services in US airspace rests with the FAA, which either staffs facilities directly with federal employees or contracts the work out at smaller airports through the FAA Contract Tower Program. Those contracts go to a small number of large, established aviation services contractors, not to small businesses. A small airport, a flight school, or a corporate flight department does not employ certified air traffic controllers; they employ pilots, dispatchers, airfield operations staff, and ground personnel, which are different roles. So if you are a small business looking at this page expecting to hire a controller, the more likely role you actually need is something adjacent, such as an airfield operations specialist, a dispatcher, or an operations manager. If you are an aviation services employer that does staff a contract tower, the contract-tower template here is a useful reference, but you will almost certainly already have HR processes in place given the scale required to hold an FAA contract.
What is the difference between a tower, TRACON, and en route controller?
These are the three main types of air traffic controller, defined by the phase of flight and the airspace they manage. Tower controllers, also called air traffic control tower controllers, work in the airport tower and manage aircraft on the ground and in the immediate airspace around the airport, handling takeoffs, landings, taxiing, and runway and ground movement. TRACON controllers, who work in terminal radar approach control facilities, manage aircraft in the busier airspace surrounding one or more airports, typically guiding aircraft as they climb out after departure or line up on approach before landing, using radar. En route controllers work at air route traffic control centers and manage aircraft during the cruise phase of flight, as planes travel at altitude between airports across large sections of national airspace. A single flight is handed off between all three as it departs, climbs, cruises, descends, and lands. The duties and certifications differ by facility type and rating, which is why FAA certification is tied to a specific facility. The contract-tower role on this page refers specifically to the tower type.