Air Traffic Controllers by the numbers
- MEDIAN WAGE
- $148,080 /year
- JOB GROWTH 2024–34
- +1.2% (US avg +3.1%)
- US EMPLOYMENT
- 22,510 jobs
- AI HORIZON (THEORETICAL)
- 81 /100
Across all measured AI usage (dataset-wide, not specific to this occupation), about 43% is automation — AI doing a task — while 57% is augmentation, AI assisting a person.
Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34 · Anthropic Economic Index (CC-BY) · Felten et al. AIOE · Methodology
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Frequently asked questions
Will AI replace Air Traffic Controllers?
No data source can answer that with certainty — what we can measure is overlap. Air Traffic Controllers score 1/100 on observed AI exposure (how much of the job's tasks appear in real AI usage today) and 81/100 on theoretical exposure as tools improve. High exposure historically means tasks get reshaped and redistributed rather than jobs simply disappearing.
How much do Air Traffic Controllers earn in the US?
The national median wage for Air Traffic Controllers is $148,080 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is the job market for Air Traffic Controllers growing or shrinking?
BLS projects employment for Air Traffic Controllers to change by +1.2% between 2024 and 2034 (national average: +3.1%). About 22,510 people held this job in 2024.
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