FAA hires 3,000 air traffic controllers: how to get a job from ATC

An amazing shortage of air traffic controllers was again put under the spotlight while one of the busiest airports in the country faces another week of cascading delays – and the government is desperate higher, if you can manage stress.

Since the end of April, equipment problems and lack of the staff of the establishment who guides planes in their approach to Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jerseycaused Delays and cancellations day after day.

United Airlines, the largest client in the airport, has even reduced 35 flights to its schedule to adapt to traffic limits.

Transport Secretary Sean Duffy announced elevation, bonus and faster plans to “overeat” the country’s ATC network and restore staff at normal levels after years of decline (the system is still short of 3,000 short controllers, he said).

“”It takes a year to three years to lead to a new controller to work in airspace, so it will be a longer term problem, “said Duffy on Tuesday morning on CNBC.

He will also need the approval of the congress for major spending articles such as upgrading of communication infrastructure.

The most recent entry -level controller applications ended on March 17, and it is not clear when more will open. There are currently other openings for support staff, high -level positions and other higher level jobs with wages up to $ 200,000 per year.

What is needed to be hired as air traffic controller

Being an air traffic controller is extremely stress. More than 14,000 workers at the national level are responsible for moving tens of thousands of lives on board aircraft across the country every day.

Business Insider spoke with the FAA Cedrick Earley controller to discuss what it is to work on work.

You may not need a university degree to work in ATC

ATC is a good option for people looking for a high salary job that does not require a university diploma.

According to the FAA job website, eligible candidates must:

• Be an American citizen
• Talk to clear and fluid English
• Be under the age of 31 before the date of closing the request (more on this subject later)
• Have a year of full -time working or higher education experience, or a combination of the two
• Meet specific physical and mental fitness standards

The candidates selected who apply through the FAA must undergo months of in -depth training and to pass compulsory tests, such as a skills test, an assessment of skills and physical and psychological exams, before being officially hired.

The candidates will spend up to five months at the Academy, where training and tests will occur. However, some candidates come from other careers, such as the military.

Earley crossed the Air Force to become a controller instead of the FAA.

“(Air Force) is a different track,” he said. “The quality of the training you receive from Air Force is equivalent to what you would get if you cross the route with the FAA in Oklahoma.”

You must be under 31 years old when you apply

According to the FAA, all ATC candidates must be 30 years old or less on the closing date of the request period to qualify for the position.

Indeed, the agency has determined by in -depth research that the older someone is, the more difficult for them to finish rigorous training.

However, according to the agency, those who already have experience in controlling air traffic can be hired up to 35 years old.

You will go through many tests and training

Whether you are becoming a controller through the FAA or the army, you will have to follow one month’s training and pass ability, physical, physiological and skills tests. These examinations assess the health of candidates and their ability to train and do work.

The initial tests have passed / chess, according to the agency, and the failure of certain examinations will eliminate candidates from the hiring process.

The training is demanding, with around 50% of the air force controllers, failing that.

You will not necessarily work in an airport tower

Earley said traffic controllers are not limited to the airport tower, but can also work in one of the hundreds of facilities around and between the country’s airports.

For example, you can work in the radar approach installation of the terminal, or Tracon, in Memphis and be responsible for the control of aircraft leaving the airport for their next destination and directing flights to the airport for fast and safe landing.

Employees can also work in one of the air traffic traffic control centers, or Artccs, across the United States, which lead planes to their destinations.

The work can be high, but also boring sometimes

Being an air traffic controller can be stressful due to the high workload and the highly consequence environment. But according to the occupation of the sky, work can also be dull and boring.

The former air traffic controller Michele Robson wrote in 2020 that work can be silent at night, but controllers must always be alert and ready to work at any time of a quarter work.

While some controllers find the work extremely stressful, Earley said that this was not the case for him because he likes to solve a new problem every day.

“Controllers always learn at work, such as updating and refining processes or learning new rules and procedures,” he said. “It’s a job where you always have to change and adapt.”

Security is always the absolute priority

Air traffic controllers are responsible for around 50,000 daily flights in the United States, so security is the most important aspect of work.

An increasing number of collision or collision aircraft have further improved calls for better training and FAA allocation.

According to Earley, there are several things that the controllers do to make sure that nothing is missed.

“I work in front of a radar telescope, and it can sometimes be busy, so I am not supposed to work in position more than two hours at a time, so we get a break to refresh ourselves,” he said. “We are not working more than 10 hours in a day either, and there are a number of hours that we must be deactivated before we can work again.”

The FAA implemented new rules in 2024 to minimize the fatigue of the controller by increasing the minimum rest time between the trips of at least nine hours to at least 10 hours. The controllers also obtain 12 hours of leave before and after midnight quarters.

Earley also explained that there are layoffs in work to raise safety and that other controllers and supervisors help check the work of each.

“Everyone is in fact able to see what is going on with the work of a particular person at the time, so it’s a team, a fight,” he said. “If we notice that something is a bit out of so, we can bring it to the attention of the controller, and they can solve it before it becomes a more important problem.”

The salary is good, but the work schedule can be incoherent

Earley explained the employment salary, which increases with seniority, and the advantages offer a good balance between professional and private life.

“It’s a job that pays me well and allows me to support my family,” he said. “I am also able to take free time for me, like spending time with my daughter.”

However, he also said that his schedule was not regular 9-5.

“I have quarters of work that I work from midnight to 8 am, as well as quarters dispersed 12-8, so it turns,” he said. “I always know what my hours are every day, but it’s not always at the same time. It’s always incoherent.”

The average salary is $ 160,000 for the controllers, says the FAA.

You know your schedule for the whole year

According to Earley, air traffic controllers are experiencing their work schedule a year in advance.

“When we establish our schedules, we offer what we want for next year, then we have awarded our full schedule for the year,” he said. “This helps in terms of planning our leave.”

He also explained that the calendar is only for a year, and the controllers can change it the following year.

You can retire at 56

All air traffic controllers must retire at 56 due to the more possible possibility of memory or hearing loss, inattention or reduced view in the elderly.

However, Earley said that the 56 -year -old cut only applies to those who are actively working, controllers who are not yet ready to retire can take office or management work instead.

Many controllers choose to retire early after completing their 25 years of service required, said Duffy, exacerbating endowment problems.