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Air Traffic Controllers: apprenticeship hours and pay
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Approved apprenticeship titles
One apprenticeship title on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Air Traffic Controllers, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 2,000 hours, for Air Traffic Controller (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| Air Traffic Controller | 1101 | Competency-Based: 2,000 hours Hybrid: 2,000 to 2,500 hours Time-Based: 2,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What air traffic controllers earn, by state
Virginia has the highest state median for air traffic controllers ($191,820) and District of Columbia the lowest ($47,760), across the 45 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | $191,820 | $92.22 | 1,120 |
| Illinois | $181,560 | $87.29 | 990 |
| Georgia | $178,420 | $85.78 | 970 |
| Colorado | $177,380 | $85.28 | 740 |
| Minnesota | $176,840 | $85.02 | 680 |
| Texas | $170,080 | $81.77 | 2,060 |
| Washington | $162,570 | $78.16 | 620 |
| California | $160,080 | $76.96 | 2,290 |
| Kansas | $159,700 | $76.78 | 430 |
| Indiana | $158,810 | $76.35 | 630 |
| Hawaii | $158,700 | $76.30 | 210 |
| Utah | $158,310 | $76.11 | 360 |
| Tennessee | $157,330 | $75.64 | 590 |
| New Mexico | $148,550 | $71.42 | 350 |
| Florida | $147,530 | $70.93 | 1,950 |
| New York | $144,960 | $69.69 | 1,150 |
| Connecticut | $140,940 | $67.76 | Not published |
| Nevada | $140,920 | $67.75 | 210 |
| Arizona | $136,800 | $65.77 | 380 |
| Pennsylvania | $132,350 | $63.63 | 460 |
| New Jersey | $132,230 | $63.57 | 190 |
| Maryland | $131,290 | $63.12 | 70 |
| North Carolina | $129,230 | $62.13 | 410 |
| Kentucky | $127,800 | $61.44 | 230 |
| Rhode Island | $126,300 | $60.72 | 50 |
| Puerto Rico | $125,780 | $60.47 | 110 |
| Massachusetts | $125,060 | $60.13 | 120 |
| Alaska | $123,950 | $59.59 | 490 |
| Oklahoma | $123,220 | $59.24 | 270 |
| Missouri | $122,200 | $58.75 | 260 |
| Michigan | $118,930 | $57.18 | 360 |
| Alabama | $114,960 | $55.27 | 240 |
| South Carolina | $112,030 | $53.86 | 190 |
| Nebraska | $111,710 | $53.71 | 70 |
| Arkansas | $109,760 | $52.77 | 80 |
| Vermont | $109,140 | $52.47 | 30 |
| North Dakota | $107,990 | $51.92 | 100 |
| Maine | $107,270 | $51.57 | 70 |
| Montana | $101,380 | $48.74 | 60 |
| Louisiana | $99,810 | $47.99 | 230 |
| Wyoming | $93,580 | $44.99 | 40 |
| Iowa | $90,790 | $43.65 | 120 |
| Mississippi | $88,110 | $42.36 | 160 |
| Guam | $82,830 | $39.82 | 40 |
| District of Columbia | $47,760 | $22.96 | 820 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).