Air Traffic Controller
The Job Of An Air Traffic Controller
What Does An Air Traffic Controller Do?
Air traffic controllers direct the movements of commercial and private aircraft with the use of radar systems and visual judgment. While they are primarily concerned with safety, their job also includes making flying more efficient and reducing delays, more to that, they also keep airplane pilots informed on important details such as weather conditions and runway status during takeoff or landing.
There are various tasks that different air traffic controllers can handle depending on where they are working. Some controllers would be in charge of controlling airport traffic, some would be regulating flights between airports, some would organize an airport’s departures and arrivals while some would monitor all aircraft that would enter airspace. Most commonly, air traffic controllers work with other air traffic controllers do effectively direct the plane safely and efficiently into airspace and back.
The work of an air traffic controller is commonly associated with high levels of stress since a person holding this job is partly in charge of the safety of thousands of passengers.
Job Qualifications
To be an air traffic controller, one is required to have a bachelor’s degree or anything related plus an official and approved training program, more than that, one is also required to have completed the 8-hour certification exam which is necessary in order to have this profession. Training for qualified aspirants would range anywhere in between 2 to 4 years.
Aside from basic education and training, air traffic controllers are also required to meet other requirements such as having proper school recommendations and being under 31 years of age. Not to mention, the educational process also has some considerably demanding standards. For some, a pre-employee screening system is being observed so that only the best of all the applicants may be able to get a position in air traffic control.
Job Opportunities
The job market for air traffic controllers is expected to stagnate until 2012. While air traffic in increasing, job opportunities are not expected to increase proportionately as airport operations are guided by strict budget standards. Another constraint is that the popularity of computerized traffic control systems is increasing, giving less opportunities for aspiring air traffic controllers.
There were over 25,000 air traffic controllers that were employed in 2006. While growth in the numbers might not be too much, the FAA has plans of adding 17,000 new air traffic controllers over the upcoming 10 years.
The reason why not so much people are into air traffic control is because this considerably stressful job has a lot of demanding qualifications of which the common person could not have. While this job may be quite hard to have, there are promising rewards for those who land a career in air traffic control.
Expected Salary
Air traffic controllers can earn anywhere between $65,500 and $112,250 with the mean annual salary at $91,600. However, some of them could still earn below $46,000 while some are fortunate enough to be earning above $131,000. This rate is expected to grow through the years as air traffic controllers are expected to handle more tasks.
Some of the highest paid air traffic controllers are those who work for the federal government who would earn about $112,000. Pay would depend on a lot of factors including the airport of where the air traffic controller would work and the place.
More Articles
Related Products And FREE Videos
More Articles
... able to practice dental hygiene anywhere in the US. Most states would also require passing a test regarding the legal aspects of dental hygiene. Some institutes would offer hands-on training programs for hygienists that would qualify those who would be taking it to take the exams required. For those who ...
... who cater to international flights are the ones more likely to be exposed to this shift since international flight would naturally take very long hours. While this is a lot of work, it is justly compensated through generous salaries and benefits which is sure to be enjoyed by the flight attendants. Because ...
... economy. With how the economy is behaving lately, it can be said that the number of stockbrokers would just grow at the same rate of most other jobs in the market. With a lot of people qualified for the job, this also poses up some competition. Those who have good educational backgrounds, good training ...
... similar. While this job is considerably attractive, very few people are qualified for this position. If working for an organization, one would still have to work up through the ranks in order to land at this position. That is also the reason why most executive chefs have their own restaurants. Job Requirements ...
... daily or week per week depending on the demands. Some would only specialize in one area of graphic design such as web page design, advertisements, logos and illustrations. Job Outlook This job is quite competitive since a lot of people are attracted to this career. Fortunately, with competition comes ...