Air Traffic Control Career?

Question

What is an average day like as an ATC? Salary? What are work schedules like? How many days do you work a week? Yes I know it's stressful. I'm a student pilot so I know about the whole ATC system etc. I'm thinking about becoming and ATC. Will this job exist in 10 years or will it be entirley takin over by computers?

Answer 1

check this site out. Will explain everything, search for the posting that says atc trainee.

http://jobs.faa.gov/Allfaajobs.htm

Answer 2

It will never be taken over by computers. Too many human factors involved that need human interaction for the decision process.

Your question is hard to anwer in one broad stroke. There are many different types of controllers. En route controllers, terminal controllers, etc... An en route controller handles traffic at high altitude between terminals. a terminal controller handles approaches and departures. A tower controller handles the local traffic on final approach, take off and ground movements.

The salary used to be great. Not so much any more. You can make good money if you are at one of the higher class facilities. The class of facilities depends on the amount of traffic coming into that facility. For instance, a controller working a LAX may make $100k USD/yr while the guy working at a much less busy airport like Midland (Tx) might only make $40k/yr...

It can be a very stressful job and usually is. It requires a large commitment and enjoyment of the job to be good at it and last 20 years in the career.

Answer 3

Try the pprune

pprune.org

See the ATC section. Many ATC's there that can help!