Air Traffic Controller Salary in the District of Columbia
Median annual pay in the District of Columbia
$47,760
$22.96/hour
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Adjusted for cost of living in the District of Columbia
$43,457
Regional Price Parity: 109.901 (U.S. = 100)
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Difference from the U.S. median ($148,080): −$100,320 (−67.7%)
The District of Columbia ranks 43rd of 43 states by median pay, and 43rd of 43 after adjusting for cost of living.
Pay
| Annual | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $47,760 | $22.96 |
| 25th percentile | $47,760 | $22.96 |
| Median | $47,760 | $22.96 |
| 75th percentile | $174,860 | $84.07 |
| 90th percentile | $196,310 | $94.38 |
Employment
- Employment in the District of Columbia
- 820
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Comparison
Compared with the U.S.
- Median annual pay in the District of Columbia
- $47,760
- Median annual pay in the U.S.
- $148,080
- Difference
- −$100,320 (−67.7%)
Cost of living
$47,760 ÷ 109.901 × 100 = $43,457
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Ranking
| Rank | Median annual pay | Adjusted for cost of living (annual) |
|---|---|---|
| Iowa | ||
| 41st | $90,790 | $103,450 40th |
| Mississippi | ||
| 42nd | $88,110 | $101,331 41st |
| District of Columbia This page | ||
| 43rd | $47,760 | $43,457 43rd |
Similar occupations
Related occupations from O*NET, in O*NET's order, with their BLS median pay. Each figure shows the place it is for.
- Airfield Operations Specialist salary in the U.S.
$56,850/year U.S.
- Commercial Pilot salary in the U.S.
$123,220/year U.S.
- Airline Pilot, Copilot, and Flight Engineer salary in the U.S.
$232,140/year U.S.
- Railroad Conductor and Yardmaster salary in the U.S.
$78,000/year U.S.
- Traffic Technician salary in the U.S.
$59,090/year U.S.
- Locomotive Engineer salary in the U.S.
$81,410/year U.S.
Outlook
- Projected employment change, 2025–35 (U.S.)
- +1.7%
- Typical education needed for entry (U.S.)
- Associate's degree
BLS publishes employment projections only for the U.S. as a whole. BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35
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Air Traffic Controller salary in nearby places
- Air Traffic Controller salary in Maryland
$131,290/year Maryland
- Air Traffic Controller salary in Virginia
$191,820/year Virginia
- Air Traffic Controller salary in the U.S.
$148,080/year U.S.
Sources and update
- Wages and employment: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.
- Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
- Related occupations: O*NET® 31.0 Database, CC BY 4.0. Attributions
- Employment projections and typical education: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35.
- Neighboring states: U.S. Census Bureau, County Adjacency File, 2024.
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