Air traffic controllers
SOC Code: 53-2021
Air traffic controllers carries a 56% AI exposure score (High automation risk), with a median annual wage of $144,580 and +1.2% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 24,100 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 56% AI exposure, Air traffic controllers sits 19 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 92% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
50/100
Air traffic controllers, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage A+ $144,580
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F +1.2%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 56% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Air traffic controllers in the High band.
Credential × growth standing
Associate / award entry with a named growth shelf
Entry credential Associate / award covers 99 of 832 occupations; BLS places this one in Slow growth (245/832). Mid-credential standing - thicker than graduate shelves, thinner than HS-dominated mass.
Where Air traffic controllers sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Air traffic controllers sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
56% Higher than most higher than 92% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Air traffic controllers vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Air traffic controllers is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Air traffic controllers's High automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score in the 40–70% range indicates meaningful automation pressure on specific task categories, but the role as a whole still requires human judgment for coordination, exception handling, or client interaction.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 53-2021) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Air traffic controllers be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Air traffic controllers. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Inform pilots about nearby planes or potentially hazardous conditions, such as weather, speed and direction of wind, or visibility problems.
- 2. Issue landing and take-off authorizations or instructions.
- 3. Transfer control of departing flights to traffic control centers and accept control of arriving flights.
- 4. Provide flight path changes or directions to emergency landing fields for pilots traveling in bad weather or in emergency situations.
- 5. Alert airport emergency services in cases of emergency or when aircraft are experiencing difficulties.
- 6. Monitor or direct the movement of aircraft within an assigned air space or on the ground at airports to minimize delays and maximize safety.
- 7. Direct pilots to runways when space is available or direct them to maintain a traffic pattern until there is space for them to land.
- 8. Monitor aircraft within a specific airspace, using radar, computer equipment, or visual references.
- 9. Direct ground traffic, including taxiing aircraft, maintenance or baggage vehicles, or airport workers.
- 10. Contact pilots by radio to provide meteorological, navigational, or other information.
Key Skills Required
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Monitoring
- Complex Problem Solving
- Coordination
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Learning
- Time Management
Knowledge Areas
- Transportation
- English Language
- Public Safety and Security
- Education and Training
- Customer and Personal Service
- Geography
- Telecommunications
- Mathematics
- Computers and Electronics
- Law and Government
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Air traffic controllers?
Air traffic controllers has an AI exposure score of 56%, indicating a high level of automation risk. Some tasks in this role can be augmented or partially automated by AI, but core responsibilities require human judgment.
What is the job outlook for Air traffic controllers?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Air traffic controllers is projected to grow by 1.2% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 24,100 workers.
What skills are needed for Air traffic controllers?
Key skills for Air traffic controllers include Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, and others. Typical entry-level education is Associate's degree.
How much do Air traffic controllers earn?
The median annual wage for Air traffic controllers is $144,580, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Air traffic controllers?
The typical entry-level education for Air traffic controllers is Associate's degree. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Long-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Air traffic controllers?
Air traffic controllers roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
High automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. A moderate share of tasks may be augmented by AI tools.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Air traffic controllers: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (56% here).
- Credit analysts · AI exposure 56%
- Customer service representatives · AI exposure 56%
- Legal secretaries and administrative assistants · AI exposure 56%
- News analysts, reporters, and journalists · AI exposure 56%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+1.2% here).
- Biological scientists, all other · growth +1.2%
- Camera operators, television, video, and film · growth +1.2%
- Economists · growth +1.2%
- Environmental engineering technologists and technicians · growth +1.2%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 19 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Air traffic controllers' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Air traffic controllers side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).