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>Air Traffic Controllers
Air Traffic Controllers
Overview
Salary
Demand
Core Tasks
Technology Skills
Tools Used
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Top 10 Skills
Top 10 Abilities
Top 10 Work Activities
Detailed Work Activities
Work Context
Education
Majors
Interests
Top 10 Work Styles
Work Values
Related Careers
Overview
Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Experience
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Education
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Examples
These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, travel guides, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters, and medical assistants.
Control air traffic on and within vicinity of airport, and movement of air traffic between altitude sectors and control centers, according to established procedures and policies. Authorize, regulate, and control commercial airline flights according to government or company regulations to expedite and ensure flight safety.
Salary Salary
Salary at 10th Percentile: $72K
Salary at 25th Percentile: $90K
Median Salary: $130K
Salary at 75th Percentile: $161K
Salary at 90th Percentile: $184K
Demand
Core Tasks
Inform pilots about nearby planes or potentially hazardous conditions, such as weather, speed and direction of wind, or visibility problems.
Issue landing and take-off authorizations or instructions.
Alert airport emergency services in cases of emergency or when aircraft are experiencing difficulties.
Direct pilots to runways when space is available or direct them to maintain a traffic pattern until there is space for them to land.
Monitor or direct the movement of aircraft within an assigned air space or on the ground at airports to minimize delays and maximize safety.
Provide flight path changes or directions to emergency landing fields for pilots traveling in bad weather or in emergency situations.
Transfer control of departing flights to traffic control centers and accept control of arriving flights.
Direct ground traffic, including taxiing aircraft, maintenance or baggage vehicles, or airport workers.
Monitor aircraft within a specific airspace, using radar, computer equipment, or visual references.
Contact pilots by radio to provide meteorological, navigational, or other information.
Maintain radio or telephone contact with adjacent control towers, terminal control units, or other area control centers to coordinate aircraft movement.
Determine the timing or procedures for flight vector changes.
Initiate or coordinate searches for missing aircraft.
Provide on-the-job training to new air traffic controllers.
Check conditions and traffic at different altitudes in response to pilots' requests for altitude changes.
Relay air traffic information, such as courses, altitudes, or expected arrival times, to control centers.
Inspect, adjust, or control radio equipment or airport lights.
Compile information about flights from flight plans, pilot reports, radar, or observations.
Conduct pre-flight briefings on weather conditions, suggested routes, altitudes, indications of turbulence, or other flight safety information.
Organize flight plans or traffic management plans to prepare for planes about to enter assigned airspace.
Analyze factors such as weather reports, fuel requirements, or maps to determine air routes.
Review records or reports for clarity and completeness and maintain records or reports, as required under federal law.
Complete daily activity reports and keep records of messages from aircraft.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Transportation
84%
Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
English Language
79%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Public Safety and Security
76%
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Education and Training
75%
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Customer and Personal Service
72%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Geography
70%
Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Telecommunications
69%
Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Mathematics
66%
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Computers and Electronics
60%
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Law and Government
56%
Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Top 10 Skills
Active Listening
88%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking
85%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking
83%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Judgment and Decision Making
83%
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Complex Problem Solving
80%
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Monitoring
80%
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Coordination
78%
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Active Learning
75%
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Reading Comprehension
75%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Time Management
70%
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Top 10 Abilities
Problem Sensitivity
95%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Oral Comprehension
93%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
93%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Selective Attention
90%
The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Deductive Reasoning
88%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Flexibility of Closure
85%
The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Inductive Reasoning
85%
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Speed of Closure
85%
The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
Far Vision
83%
The ability to see details at a distance.
Near Vision
83%
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Top 10 Work Activities
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
97%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
92%
Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Getting Information
91%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
85%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
85%
Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Processing Information
84%
Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Training and Teaching Others
83%
Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
83%
Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Analyzing Data or Information
80%
Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
79%
Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Detailed Work Activities
Notify others of emergencies, problems, or hazards.
Communicate with others to coordinate vehicle movement.
Coordinate flight control or management activities.
Respond to transportation emergencies.
Monitor vehicle movement or location.
Direct vehicle traffic.
Adjust routes or speeds as necessary.
Direct emergency management activities.
Train transportation or material moving personnel.
Monitor surroundings to detect potential hazards.
Operate communications equipment or systems.
Compile operational data.
Plan flight operations.
Review documents or materials for compliance with policies or regulations.
Record operational details of travel.
Meet with coworkers to communicate work orders or plans.
Choose optimal transportation routes or speeds.
Work Context
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Frequency of Decision Making
How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Work With Work Group or Team
How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
How important is repeating the same physical activities (e.g., key entry) or mental activities (e.g., checking entries in a ledger) over and over, without stopping, to performing this job?
Consequence of Error
How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not readily correctable?
Deal With External Customers
How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
Frequency of Conflict Situations
How often are there conflict situations the employee has to face in this job?
Education
Interests
Enterprising
91%
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Conventional
86%
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Realistic
53%
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Investigative
34%
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Social
34%
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Artistic
15%
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Top 10 Work Styles
Attention to Detail
93%
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Stress Tolerance
93%
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Dependability
89%
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Adaptability/Flexibility
88%
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Persistence
87%
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Achievement/Effort
86%
Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Analytical Thinking
86%
Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Self Control
86%
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Cooperation
83%
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Initiative
83%
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Work Values
Support
86%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Independence
77%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Working Conditions
77%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Achievement
72%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Recognition
72%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Relationships
48%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
