Transportation and Material Moving
Air Traffic Controllers
Control air traffic on and within vicinity of airport, and movement of air traffic between altitude sectors and control centers, according to established procedures and policies. Authorize, regulate, and control commercial airline flights according to government or company regulations to expedite and ensure flight safety.
Also called: ATCS (Air Traffic Control Specialist), Center ATC (Center Air Traffic Controller), Certified Professional Controller (CPC), Developmental Air Traffic Controller, Developmental ATCS (Developmental Air Traffic Control Specialist), Enroute ATCS (Enroute Air Traffic Control Specialist)
- Median pay in Greater Boston
- $135,720
- $65.25/hr
- Jobs in Greater Boston
- 100
- Massachusetts 2024–2034
- +5.9%
- 10 openings a year
- Typical U.S. entry requirement
- Associate's degree
- plus Long-term on-the-job training
Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.
Pay range in Greater Boston
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $87,420 | $103,920 | $135,720 | $180,070 | $210,870 |
10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.
What you’d do
- Inform pilots about nearby planes or potentially hazardous conditions, such as weather, speed and direction of wind, or visibility problems.
- Monitor aircraft within a specific airspace, using radar, computer equipment, or visual references.
- Monitor, direct, or sequence the movement of aircraft within an assigned air space or on the ground at airports to minimize delays and maximize safety.
- Alert airport emergency services in cases of emergency or when aircraft are experiencing difficulties.
- Maintain radio or telephone contact with adjacent control towers, terminal control units, or other area control centers to coordinate aircraft movement.
- Transfer control of departing flights to traffic control centers and accept control of arriving flights.
AI and this job
AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.
Moderate exposure64 of 100
The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:
- AIOE 79
- Language-model AIOE 64
- GPTs-are-GPTs 50
Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)
Air traffic controllers have moderate AI exposure, so AI tools could help with some screen-based work such as tracking aircraft and sequencing traffic. Observed AI use in this job is little or none today. Calling out emergencies and coordinating by radio or phone with pilots and other control centers rely on human judgment. Massachusetts job growth is projected at 5.9% from 2024 to 2034.
Likely to change
- Tracking aircraft on radar and screens
- Sequencing flights to reduce delays
Still relies on people
- Alerting emergency services in a crisis
- Talking with pilots and other control centers
Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.
Training near Boston
College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).
No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.
Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.
Related occupations
- Airfield Operations Specialists
- Commercial Pilots
- Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
- Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors
- Traffic Technicians
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance
- Transportation Inspectors
- Public Safety Telecommunicators
- Power Distributors and Dispatchers
- Aircraft Service Attendants
Talk to a career coach
A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.
Talk to a career coach