How Much Do Air Traffic Controllers Make In Texas? | Pay

Air traffic controller pay in Texas isn’t one single number you can memorize. Most controllers in the state work for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and earnings come from a base rate plus locality pay, plus add-ons for nights, Sundays, holidays, and overtime. Get those pieces straight and pay starts to make sense fast.

This guide uses public wage data for Texas and the FAA pay structure to show what’s typical, what shifts your total, and how to estimate a range for your own situation.

Pay piece	What it covers	Why it changes
Base salary	Your core rate in the FAA pay plan	Moves with training progress and certification
Locality pay	Geographic add-on applied to base	Depends on duty station pay area
Night differential	Extra pay for late shifts	Depends on scheduled hours
Sunday premium	Extra pay for Sunday work	Depends on weekend rotation
Holiday pay	Extra pay on federal holidays	Depends on staffing needs and bids
Overtime	Hours beyond your scheduled tour	Depends on staffing and traffic
Cash awards	Bonuses under agency rules	Varies by program and year
Benefits value	Retirement, health insurance, paid leave	Changes with service time and plan choice

What the Texas wage data says

The clearest public snapshot for Texas is the Bureau of Labor Statistics state wage table. In May 2023, air traffic controllers in Texas show a mean hourly wage of $76.49 and a mean annual wage of $146,620.

That number blends towers, approach controls, and en route work across the state. It also blends trainees and fully certified controllers. So treat it as a strong midpoint for Texas, not a promise for a first-year hire. You can review the source on the BLS Texas OEWS wage estimates page under SOC 53-2021.

Air traffic controller pay in Texas by facility and role

Most Texas controllers are FAA employees paid under the Air Traffic Specialized Pay Plan. Your facility has a level. Your role has a status. Put those together and you land in a pay band, then move upward as you train and certify.

If you want the official ranges the FAA uses, the FAA Air Traffic Specialized Pay Plan pay tables show pay-band limits used for calculations.

Where Texas controller jobs cluster

Texas has a wide mix of FAA facilities because it sits on major east-west and north-south routes and has several large metro airports. You’ll see tower work at big hubs, smaller regional airports, and military-adjacent fields. You’ll also see radar approach facilities serving groups of airports, plus en route work tied to the Fort Worth Air Route Traffic Control Center (ZFW) in the Dallas–Fort Worth area.

If your goal is “Texas” as a state, start broad: you may have multiple viable duty stations. If your goal is “Austin only” or “Houston only,” your options narrow and the pay band you land in can change with the facility’s level.

City names don’t equal facility levels

Two facilities in the same metro can sit at different levels. A busy tower might sit alongside an approach control that covers several airports. Each can have its own training pace and pay band. When you hear “DFW” or “Houston,” ask for the exact facility identifier and whether the job is tower, TRACON, or en route.

Questions that save you from bad comparisons

• What locality table applies to this duty station?
• What is the facility level and the target position (developmental or CPC)?
• How long is training usually at this site, and how are raises tied to milestones?
• How often do controllers work nights, Sundays, and overtime in a normal month?

Terminal and en route work

Terminal facilities (towers and TRACONs) manage arrivals and departures close to airports. En route centers manage aircraft between airports over wide areas. Both exist in Texas, and both can pay well. The difference is usually the facility level, the training pipeline, and how staffing drives extra-pay hours.

Developmental and CPC status

Most new hires start as developmentals and see pay rise as they certify on positions. A CPC (Certified Professional Controller) is fully certified at that facility. CPC status tends to open higher base pay and can line up with more overtime access in places that lean on fully rated controllers to keep sectors open.

How Much Do Air Traffic Controllers Make In Texas?

Use the state mean as a check, then build your own number. The May 2023 Texas mean annual wage is $146,620, and many controllers land above or below that based on facility level, certification status, and extra-pay hours.

People also ask, how much do air traffic controllers make in texas? A dependable answer is: base salary + locality pay + add-ons. Once you know your facility and role, the range gets tight fast.

What changes a Texas controller’s total pay

Here are the factors that most often separate one Texas paycheck from another.

Facility level and traffic demands

Higher-level facilities generally map to higher pay bands. A higher level can also mean a deeper staffing bench and tougher training, which affects how quickly you rise and how much extra-pay time you log.

Locality pay inside the state

Texas has multiple locality areas. A move from one metro area to another can change locality pay, even if your base band stays similar. Since premiums often scale from your rate, locality shifts can echo through more than one line on a pay stub.

If you’re relocating, track your real take-home costs: rent, parking, tolls, and child care. A higher locality rate can still feel tight if your commute is long or your schedule pushes paid help during busy weeks.

Schedule add-ons and overtime

Rotating schedules can add night differential, Sunday premium, and holiday pay. Overtime can be a major swing factor, but it is not uniform. If you’re budgeting for overtime, ask what the last year looked like at that facility and whether overtime is voluntary, mandatory, or rare.

Entry path and prior experience

Military controllers, experienced hires, and internal transfers may start at different pay points than brand-new trainees. Pay setting can follow rules that retain pay or adjust it when you change facilities.

A quick way to estimate your own range

You can build a solid range with four checks.

Check 1: Role at the facility

• Developmental (training)
• CPC (fully certified)
• Staff or supervisory role (may use a different plan)

Check 2: Facility level and duty station locality

Ask HR for the facility level and the duty station locality area tied to the offer. Those two items anchor your base-plus-locality rate.

Check 3: Extra-pay hours you’ll actually work

Pick a realistic schedule bucket:

• Low: mostly day shifts, little overtime
• Mid: mixed shifts, some weekends, occasional overtime
• High: rotating nights, steady weekends, frequent overtime

Use the bucket that matches how the facility is staffed, not the bucket that sounds fun on paper.

Check 4: Pay caps

Federal pay has ceilings. Executive Schedule Level II is $225,700 for calendar year 2025, and some FAA pay calculations are capped at that level. It mostly matters for top earners at high-level facilities, yet it’s a good reality check when you see wild “maximum” claims online.

Benefits that affect what the job pays

FAA controllers are federal employees, so the package goes beyond salary. Many controllers value the retirement system (FERS), the Thrift Savings Plan, health insurance choices, paid leave that grows with service time, and paid training during the early years. When you compare offers, put a dollar value on benefits instead of staring only at base pay.

Hiring notes for Texas applicants

Pay talk is only useful if you can get in the door. FAA hiring has eligibility rules, including medical and background checks. Many hiring paths also have an age limit for initial appointment, which is often set at under 31. Training is paid, but pay growth can track training milestones, so plan your budget with some cushion.

Common pay myths to avoid

• “Everyone starts near the Texas mean.” New hires can start far below the state mean, then climb during training.
• “Overtime is guaranteed.” Overtime depends on staffing and local traffic patterns.
• “State averages equal job offers.” Averages help you sanity-check expectations, then the pay plan details do the real work.

Situation	Main pay drivers	What to verify
New hire assigned to Texas	Entry band + locality	Starting rate, duty station, training timeline
Developmental mid-training	Progress raises + shift add-ons	Milestone raises, typical shift mix
New CPC	CPC rate + locality + overtime access	CPC range, overtime rules, staffing pattern
Transfer into Texas	Pay setting rules + locality change	Retention policy, relocation costs
High-overtime year	Overtime rate + stacking rules	Overtime policy, fatigue limits
Staff or supervisory move	Different plan + performance increases	Plan name, band limits, raise method
Top-band earner	Band ceiling + pay caps	Cap exposure, premium limits

A short checklist before you accept

• Get the facility name, level, and duty station locality area
• Confirm whether the offer is developmental or CPC
• Ask for the pay band and starting rate in writing
• Ask what schedules look like over the next six months
• Ask how often overtime was used in the last year
• Budget using a low or mid bucket until you see the pattern

Once you have those answers, you can ask the question again: how much do air traffic controllers make in texas? At that point, you’ll have a range tied to your facility, your status, and your likely hours.