10 Countries With The Highest Air Traffic Controller (ATC) Salaries
An air traffic controller monitors the location of aircraft in their assigned airspace by radar and communicates with the pilots by radio. They enforce traffic separation rules to ensure each aircraft maintains a minimum amount of empty space around it at all times. Here is a list of countries with the highest-paid air traffic controllers. (Figures are converted into US dollars)
1. Spain
Salary – $650,000
Spanish ATCs are among the best-paid in Europe and also among the best-paid public workers in Spain. The average basic salary is €200,000 however most workers are able to triple their income by working over time. The top ten get paid between €800,000 – €900,000 a year while the vast majority are paid between €300,000 – €600,000 annually.
Up until 2010, air control was publicly owned. It was partially privatized and afterward assigned to private companies FerroNats and Saerco. The public entity Enaire, attached to the Ministry Of Public Works, manages air navigation in Spain and has five control centers plus 22 towers.
2. Ireland
Salary – $245,000
According to the Irish Aviation Authority, the top 10% of experienced ATCs based in Ireland earn between €170,000 – €230,000 a year, while the average pay is €160,000. The basic starting salary for a fully qualified controller is around €55,000 annually. They also get a shift allowance of around €30,000 hence bumping their annual pay to €85,000. The maximum annual basic pay, including shift allowance, is more than €112,000.
3. Switzerland
Salary – $215,000
The training and employment of air traffic controllers in Switzerland is mainly done by Sky Guide which has been certified by The Federal Office Of Civil Aviation (FOCA). The training is divided into three steps:
i) Basic training – Basic ATC simulation for 6 months. The monthly salary is CHF 4,000.
ii) Rating training – Advance ATC simulation for 6 months. The monthly salary is CHF 4,000
iii) Unit training – Sector-specific ATC training and on-the-job training. The monthly salary is CHF 5,000.
With their first license (Endorsement 1), ATCOs are paid an annual salary of CHF 89,200 to 99,500 (including additional pay for extra responsibilities). One year after obtaining their full license, the salary ranges from CHF 105,627 to 137,909. After 25 years, the annual salary range goes from CHF 151,359 to 195,074.
4. Germany
Salary – $152,000
German ATCs generally work 25 hours a week with 40 – 50 days of holiday. According to Germany’s aviation agency, the DFS, air traffic controllers have an annual salary that ranges between €72,000 – €140,000.
The first phase of training takes place at the DFS’s campus in Langen near Frankfurt. They first start with theoretical work, simulations and finally practical experience at the control tower. During the first year of training, one is paid an average of €1,150 per month, €2,575 per month on the second year and €4950 per month in the third year.
5. United States
Salary – $147,000
The national median annual wage of an air traffic controller is $132,250 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some of the highest-paying states are New Hampshire ($147350), Virginia ($139,520), Illinois ($136,390), Georgia ($136,210) and Texas ($133,260). Salaries increase each year depending on the collective bargaining agreement.
6. New Zealand
Salary – $145,000
According to data provided by the New Zealand government career database and Airways New Zealand, pay for air traffic controllers varies depending on where they work, experience and duties. The pay includes a base salary plus superannuation, shift work allowances and other benefits. New ATCs working at regional airports usually start on NZ $110,000 a year while experienced ones can earn up to NZ $245,000.
ATCs who work at the radar centers in Auckland and Christchurch usually earn NZ $160,000 to NZ $245,000.
7. Australia
Salary – $128,000
According to the Australian Taxation Office, Australian air traffic controllers have starting salaries of $99,899. An experienced ATC can earn up to AU$180,000 annually and this includes the basic salary, allowance, company superannuation and other payments.
8. France
Salary – $126,000
To be able to be an ATC in France, one must pass the selective exam from the ENAC school and very few positions are open. After graduation, the young ATC undergoes skills training for between 18 months and two years. The entry salary is around €5,000 a month and this rises to €9,000 a month towards the end of their career.
There are five control centers in France: Reims, Brest, Bordeaux, Aix -en- Provence and Athis Mons, each in charge of a specific geographic area.
9. United Kingdom
Salary – $123,000
The starting salary of ATCs based in the UK is £17,000 during their first period of training with NATS. They also get other benefits such as a pension scheme, voluntary benefits and some may get weekly payments towards accommodation. Once one is done with training, they can expect a starting salary of between £37,000 – £41,000 a year. Senior ATCs can earn over £100,000 working at the larger centers of Swanwick and Heathrow. ATCs working at private air traffic control companies may have slightly different pay.
Workers can expect to work 35 to 45 hours a week, including weekends and bank holidays. NATS is the main employer of air traffic controllers in the UK and is the sole employer for those who work on en-route services in the area control centers in Swanwick and Prestwick.
10. Canada
Salary – $113,000
There are over 1,900 air traffic controllers at Nav Canada which is the owner and operator of the country’s air navigation service. It owns and operates all air traffic control towers and area control towers in the country. The employees manage 12 million aircraft movements a year.
Air traffic controllers start with a salary of CA$44,000 annually during the training period and this will rise to about CA$151,000 plus competitive premiums. The top paying provinces include British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario and Quebec respectively.