How air traffic controllers keep US skies safe -- and how to become one
They are the unseen voices keeping America’s airspace from turning into a sky-high traffic jam. But what exactly do air traffic controllers do, and how do they get the job?
With the FAA reducing flights starting Friday due to the federal government shutdown, air traffic controllers are suddenly the center of attention and working long hours unpaid in one of the most stressful jobs in the country.
Responsibilities
U.S. air traffic controllers ensure the flight safety of almost one billion people per year and about two million passengers on 70,000 flights daily, according to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), the union that oversees the industry.
Per NATCA, there are approximately 14,000 air traffic controllers in the country, and they work out of glass towers visible at all domestic airports or at call centers scattered throughout the country. The job of an air traffic controller at an airport is to direct the movements of aircrafts to ensure their safety throughout the duration of the flight.
"They give pilots taxiing and take off instructions, air traffic clearance, and advice based on their own observations and experience. They provide separation between landing and departing aircraft, transfer control of aircraft to the en route center controllers when the aircraft leave their airspace, and receive control of aircraft on flights coming into their airspace," the NATCA website reads.
NATCA President Nick Daniels said in a statement that air traffic controllers have not been paid since the end of October, causing a financial and emotional strain.
"This situation creates substantial distractions for individuals who are already engaged in extremely stressful work. The financial and mental strain increases risks within the National Airspace System, making it less safe with each passing day of the shutdown," Daniels said in the statement.
Qualifications
According to the FAA, it is highly competitive to become an air traffic controller, as candidates must be under 31 years old and pass yearly medical evaluations and multiple specialized tests, among other requirements. Controllers are also forced to retire at age 56.
"Less than 10% of all applicants meet these requirements and are accepted into the training program," the FAA website reads.
Applicants must complete multiple required training courses and spend several months at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, before on-the-job training begins, according to the FAA's training requirements. The full training from program can last as long as four years.
Christopher Wilbanks, the director of technical training for the FAA, said that almost 60,000 applicants applied in 2023, while very few actually make it to the academy for training.
"We got down to just over 1,000 that showed up at the academy out of 57,000," he told ABC News.
Once officially certified, the median pay for an air traffic controller is $144,580, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Stress
A 2024 study by Southern Illinois University found that 20% of air traffic controllers in the U.S. suffer from moderate to severe anxiety, while 10% show symptoms of depression, according to the data.
A study from the National Library of Medicine also found that 10% to 15% of air traffic controllers experience chronic stress, according to the research.
NATCA also acknowledges that the job can bring on high levels of stress.
"These are all stressful, high energy environments where every controller knows there is no margin for error," the NATCA website reads, in part.
Valdrie Buford, the director of the FAA Academy, told ABC News that the academy is committed to constantly evolving to meet new standards.
"What the academy continues to do is to stretch forward, and innovate, and find ways to actually improve the curriculum — and improve the development and make the training more efficient and more effective," Valdrie said.
