According to the FAA’s most recent information, a troublingly large percentage of the nation’s air traffic control towers are understaffed.
As of September 2023, there were 7,047 certified air traffic controllers working across the in airport control towers and approach/departure facilities across the country. That may seem like a lot, but it’s almost 2,000 workers short of the goal of 8,966 set by the FAA in conjunction with the controllers’ union.
Likewise, 4,531 controllers worked in en route facilities – a shortage of 1,136 employees. Overall, a CBS report in January found that "less than 10% of the nation's airport terminal towers have enough air traffic controllers to meet a set of standards set by a working group that included the Federal Aviation Administration and the controllers' union."
And the airport staffing levels vary wildly. For instance, Detroit is at 100% of its staffing target while Boston is at 85%, O'Hare in Chicago is at 78%, Washington at 63%, and New York at 58%. Check your airport HERE. CNN reported that Philadelphia, Orlando, Austin, Albuquerque and Milwaukee – had less than 60% of their staffing targets filled with certified controllers
In fact, of the 313 FAA facilities that participated in the report, only 23 of them had reached the agreed-upon staffing goal.
The numbers for the hiring goals were laid out in the FAA’s workforce plan for 2024-2033, which does not appear on the FAA’s website and had to be located by Axios using the Wayback Machine internet archive. It’s possible the report was taken down as part of an executive order from President Donald Trump that forced a purge of data from government websites.
Air traffic controllers are under intense scrutiny from Trump and his Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) headed up by billionaire Elon Musk after a January mid-air collision.
Thinking about making a career change? U.S. News and World Report found that air traffic controllers made a median salary of $137,380 in 2023. The best-paid 25% made $176,720 that year, while the lowest-paid 25% made $96,870.