FAA eases path to high-paying air traffic control jobs amid shortage

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is offering a new shortcut for graduates of certain college programs to enter the air traffic control field.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for an air traffic controller is $137,380.

The change offered by the FAA would bypass the traditional requirement of completing the Air Traffic Control Academy.

This comes as the FAA addresses a shortage that has led to mandatory six-day workweeks and overtime for workers.

Fatigue among controllers has been cited as a factor in several runway incidents.

The new hiring pathway is currently only available to graduates from air traffic control programs at Tulsa Community College and the University of Oklahoma.

These graduates can now be hired directly, skipping the academy training that typically lasts three to five months.

Utah residents may soon have a more convenient option as well.

Utah State University has launched a new air traffic control training program in fall 2024 and is seeking a similar agreement with the FAA.

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