SOC 53-2021 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Air Traffic Controllers — Virginia
Virginia · 1 metro areas compared
In Virginia the median wage for Air Traffic Controllers reaches $191,820 a year.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow more slowly than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +1.2%
- Openings per year
- 2,200
- Typical entry-level education
- Associate's degree
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Virginia.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
In Virginia the median wage for Air Traffic Controllers reaches $191,820 a year. That is 29.5% more than the national median of $148,080. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $140,480 and $214,360. The lowest tenth earn under $94,330, while the highest tenth earn more than $225,680.
Employment stands at 1,120, or 0.3 jobs per thousand held locally. Among the 43 states with published data for this occupation, Virginia ranks 1st by median wage. Virginia Beach leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $119,230. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 19th of 747 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $94,330 | −36.3% |
| 25th | $140,480 | −5.1% |
| Median (50th) | $191,820 | +29.5% |
| 75th | $214,360 | +44.8% |
| 90th | $225,680 | +52.4% |
| Mean | $175,740 | +18.7% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Virginia
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia Beach | $119,230 | 90 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Virginia sit close to the national average, so $191,820 is worth roughly its face value against pay elsewhere.
Published median
$191,820as reported by BLSLocal price level
101.1US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$189,733US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $191,820 a year, 29.5% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $94,330 to $225,680 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 1,120 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 1st of 43 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Virginia Beach, at $119,230.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Air Traffic Controllers in Virginia?
The median annual wage is $191,820, or $92.22 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $148,080, so pay in Virginia is 29.5% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Virginia earns more than $225,680 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $94,330 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Virginia Beach, at $119,230 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 1,120 jobs in this occupation in Virginia. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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