Air Traffic Controller
Air traffic controllers keep aircraft safely apart, directing them on the ground, around airports and along the routes between them.
- Median salary
- $137,900
4.2%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 1,600
0.0%vs last year
- Projected growth
- +13.7%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Low
- 3 out of 10
- Average hours
- 38/wk
−2h vs all jobs
- Shortage status
- In shortage
national
- You could work in an airport control tower with the runway in front of you, in an approach unit sequencing arrivals and departures, or in an en route centre managing aircraft between airports.
- Most controllers work for Airservices Australia or the Department of Defence, and each employer runs its own entry process and training.
- The work is not a pilot's: a controller keeps several aircraft safely separated at once, while a pilot flies one.
How much do air traffic controllers earn?
The median full-time salary for an air traffic controller is $137,900 per annum, before tax, up $29,000 since 2018.
Airservices Australia and the Department of Defence each set pay through their own enterprise agreements, so figures from the two employers are not directly comparable. Shift penalties, public holiday rates and overtime make up a real share of a controller's income, and some advertised salaries fold those in while others don't, so ask which. Your classification also moves with the endorsements you hold and the complexity of the airspace you work, which explains why two people with the same job title can be paid differently.
What does an air traffic controller do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Watching a radar display or the view from the tower and building a picture of where every aircraft is, how fast it is moving and what it intends to do next
- Issuing clearances and separation instructions over the radio through a peak period, when several aircraft want an answer in the same minute
- Handing traffic to the next sector, tower or approach unit as aircraft cross a boundary, so nothing is left unmonitored
- Rotating off a high-concentration position after an hour or two, taking the mandated break and coming back to a different position
- Reacting on the spot when an aircraft declares an emergency, weather closes a route or a flight plan changes mid-flight
What skills do air traffic controllers need?
Employers look for operations management, risk and internal controls, emergency response, backed by Radar Display Systems fluency and strong written communication.
Specialist skills
- Operations management
- Risk and internal controls
- Emergency response
Software and tools
- Radar Display Systems
- Radio Communication Equipment
- Flight Data Processing Systems
- Aeronautical Charts and Publications
- Strip Marking Equipment
General skills
- Written communication
- Problem solving
- Attention to detail
- Time and deadline management
- Stakeholder management
Is the job growing?
About 1,600 people work as air traffic controllers in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 13.7% over the decade to 2035. That's healthy, above-average growth, and the role should stay in solid demand.
How do you become an air traffic controller?
Here's the path most air traffic controllers take, step by step.
- 1Check the entry requirements
Airservices Australia takes trainees with Year 12 or equivalent, and you need Australian citizenship or permanent residency, a CASA class 3 aviation medical and an aviation security clearance before training starts. Defence runs a separate entry through ADF Careers for military controllers.
- 2Apply for a trainee intake and sit the testing
Selection involves aptitude and cognitive testing, an assessment centre and interviews. Airservices takes a small number of trainees in each intake, so the application round matters more than applying for advertised vacancies later.
- 3Complete initial training
Initial training runs for around a year at Airservices' learning academy in Melbourne, mixing classroom work, simulators and supervised console time, and leads to the Diploma of Aviation (Air Traffic Control). Trainees are paid a salary while they learn.
- 4Build your endorsements
Your first rating covers one position, such as a tower or an approach unit, and each extra endorsement takes more simulator and on-the-job training plus a check ride before you can work it unsupervised.
- 5Keep your proficiency current
A CASA licence needs regular competency checks and a current medical for as long as you hold it, and ratings lapse if you stop working them. The assessing doesn't stop when training does.
Study routes we have checked
Qualifications that are a recognised way into this role, and what else you need.
- Diploma of Aviation (Air Traffic Control)
A step towards this role
Airservices Australia trains its own air traffic control trainees toward this diploma, so entry is through Airservices selection (citizenship or residency, medical, security clearance) followed by on-the-job field training. Holding the diploma alone does not qualify anyone to work as a controller; check with Airservices. This catalogue groups awards: verify the chosen provider, programme and intake; the family-level link is not confirmation that every offering is approved.
Ready to apply as an air traffic controller?
Whether you're working toward becoming an air traffic controller or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can an air traffic controller move to?
Moving into Defence Force Officer typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $46,300 a year more on average.
- Defence Force OfficerSuggested move$184,200+$46,300
Thick lines are moves people were recorded making in Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility (income tax records, 2011-12 to 2020-21). Thin lines are moves we suggest from skill overlap and entry requirements.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
Defence Force Officer Air traffic controllers bring airspace management and procedural control skills, and can move into military air operations with a short conversion course. | +$46,300 | 52% | short course |
Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.
Who works as an air traffic controller?
The typical air traffic controller is 41 years old; 83% are men, 83% work full-time, and full-timers average 38 hours a week.
- 41
- Median age
- 17%
- Female share
- 83%
- Full-time
- −2h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being an air traffic controller?
You spend your working hours in a darkened operations room watching a radar display, or in a tower cab with the runway laid out below you, and either way the picture of what is happening has to stay in your head. Positions are worked in stints of roughly 45 minutes to two hours, then you hand over and take a mandated break, because concentration slides quietly and the roster is built around that. Traffic volume sets the rhythm: a quiet mid-morning is steady and technical, while an evening push can have you answering several transmissions a minute. Overnight shifts and rotating rosters wear some people down, and if you need a fixed nine-to-five week or find it hard to leave a demanding hour behind you, that will catch up with you.
What people like
- You see the result of every instruction. You clear an aircraft to descend and watch it turn exactly where you intended, so the feedback on your decisions arrives in seconds rather than months.
- The pressure lifts when you unplug. Once you hand over your position the traffic belongs to the next controller, and most people walk out of the room without carrying the day's close calls home.
- Colleagues hold the same standard. Controllers check each other's work constantly and debriefs are blunt, so expect direct feedback with very little softening.
- Training is structured and paid. You earn while you learn, and the climb from trainee to rated controller has clear milestones, so you always know what you are being assessed on next.
What people find hard
- The roster covers the clock. Overnight shifts and weekend work are part of the pattern, and managing sleep around a rotating roster takes deliberate effort.
- Mistakes get examined formally. A misheard call sign or a late instruction can bring two aircraft closer than the separation standard allows, and incidents are investigated, which adds scrutiny to a bad day.
- Training can end without a rating. Not everyone who starts training finishes it, and if you don't pass the checks on a position you may be moved to another role or leave the program.
- You go where the work is. There are only a few control centres and major towers, so wanting to stay in one city narrows your options, and regional postings come with their own roster.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ air traffic controllers?
Transport, Postal and Warehousing employs the largest share of air traffic controllers, followed by Public Administration and Safety.
Top employing industries
- 1Transport, Postal and Warehousing
- 2Public Administration and Safety
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 43.9% | |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor degree | 34.6% | |
| Postgraduate | 8.2% | |
| Year 12 or below | 7.9% | |
| Certificate III/IV | 2.7% |
Will AI replace air traffic controllers?
Low exposure. Unlikely. AI will change some of the work around this job, not the job itself.
Air traffic control is not heavily exposed to AI, because the call that matters, how to keep aircraft apart using traffic that hasn't happened yet, is made in seconds under time pressure. Automation already handles the record-keeping: flight data processing, electronic strip displays and surveillance feeds assemble the picture, and satellite surveillance has extended coverage well beyond radar range, but none of those systems picks the sequence or the spacing. If you're starting now, get fluent with the data tools and keep working on your radio technique and mental model, because that is what the equipment still hands back to you.
How a typical week splits
- Flight data and strip management20% of the week
Electronic flight strips and data processing now populate and update most of the record automatically, so your time goes on checking and correcting it.
- Routine radio clearances and coordination20% of the week
Data link and speech recognition can pass standard descent and frequency messages, but an unusual request still comes down to a quick exchange by voice.
- Separating traffic in your sector35% of the week
You decide the order and the gaps between aircraft, and software can suggest a sequence but can't commit to one on your behalf.
- Handling emergencies and weather disruption25% of the week
When an aircraft declares an emergency or a storm closes a route, you rebuild the plan for every aircraft in your sector in real time.
How we work this out
We break each job into its main tasks, estimate the share of a typical week each one takes, and judge how far current AI and automation tools reach into it. The score out of 10 starts from the job's overall rating (low is 1 to 3, moderate 4 to 6, high 7 to 10) and the task split places it within that range. Source: Career Tips analysis of each role's main tasks.
Common questions about becoming an air traffic controller
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much do air traffic controllers earn?
Air traffic controllers earn a median of $137,900 per year before tax, and shift penalties and overtime sit on top of that base. Your endorsements and the complexity of the airspace you work move the figure more than length of service does, so ask which positions a vacancy carries.
How do you become an air traffic controller in Australia?
You apply to a trainee intake with Airservices Australia, or through ADF Careers for military control, and complete about a year of paid training before building endorsements. No aviation background or degree is required, because selection rests on aptitude testing and the training itself provides the qualification.
Are air traffic controllers in demand?
Air traffic controllers are currently in shortage nationally, and employment in the occupation is projected to grow 13.7% over the decade to 2035. Because the workforce is small, openings come mainly through the trainee intakes run by Airservices and Defence, so keeping an eye on intake dates is more useful than searching job boards.
Will AI replace air traffic controllers?
Automation already handles flight data processing, electronic strips and some routine messages, but choosing the sequence and the spacing stays with the controller. If you're starting now, learn the systems in use and keep your radio and mental-model skills sharp, because the software changes and the separation rules don't.
What can air traffic controllers move into?
Controllers move into military air operations as a defence force officer, where airspace management carries over and a short conversion course covers the procedural differences, for $46,300 more. Airport ground crew sometimes come the other way, but only by completing the full controller training and certification like any other trainee.
Do you need a degree to become an air traffic controller?
No, entry is through a trainee intake and the training supplies the qualification. About 44% of the people working as controllers hold a diploma-level qualification, which reflects training done on the job instead of a course chosen in advance. A degree becomes useful later if you move into safety investigation, airspace design or defence roles.
Related roles
- Defence Force Officer
- Airport Ground Crew
- Railway Signaller
- Vessel Traffic Service Operator
- Train Controller
- Train Driver
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