The Brutal Career Path of an Air Traffic Controller

#airtrafficcontrol #ATS #explained Every level of air traffic controller - from the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City where 35 percent wash out, to a Level 12 TRACON handling 2,800 arrivals a day at $228,000 a year. You start at $47,000. You are 24 years old. You have never touched a radar scope. This video walks through every rung of the air traffic control hierarchy: Academy trainee making $22.61 an hour in Oklahoma City. Developmental controller at a Level 5 tower earning $62,000 while you learn to separate live aircraft for the first time. Certified Professional Controller pulling $145,000 at a Level 9 TRACON with 14 sectors and a 2-2-1 rotating shift schedule. Facility transfer to a Level 12 center where you retrain from scratch on en route radar and your salary jumps past $180,000. Front Line Manager running a crew of 22 controllers through thunderstorm season. And Traffic Management Unit coordinator at the national command center in Warrenton, Virginia, making flow control decisions that affect every flight in the country. The FAA is 3,000 controllers short of its own staffing target. Mandatory retirement hits at age 56. Only 2 percent of applicants become certified controllers. The pay is real. The pressure is real. The career window is 25 years - and the clock starts the day you walk into Oklahoma City." 0:00 Level 1 The Novice 2:26 Level 2 The Developmental Controller 5:52 Level 3 The Certified Professional Controller 10:35 Level 4 The Level 12 Center Controller 10:55 Level 5 The Front Line Manager 11:30 Level 6 The Traffic Management Unit 🔔 Subscribe for more! ⚠️ Not financial or career advice. All figures are for educational purposes only and individual outcomes vary. #Sufitheory #ATS #Life_as #airtrafficcontrol #explained