Direct aircraft safely on the ground and in the air, coordinating takeoffs, landings, and routes.
Control towers and radar centers; intense focus at screens and windows.
Shift work including nights, weekends, and holidays; rotating schedules.
May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.
Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.
“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.
Associate degree
Training path: The FAA pays you to train at its academy — no degree required.
Requires FAA training and certification; there is an age limit to enter.
You can earn while you train. This field has a genuinely paid pathway in — an apprenticeship, a paid academy, or employer-funded training — so you draw a paycheck instead of taking on debt to learn it.
Six figures in your twenties with no bachelor's. Hard rule: apply before you turn 31.
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Standard Occupational Classification 53-2021. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.