488111/Air Traffic Control
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
1,574
employees, 2023
1,574
employees, 2023
In 2023, 212 US Air Traffic Control business locations employed 1,574 people and paid $130.1 million in annual payroll, $82,656 per employee on average. Employment was down 12.7% from 2022. Florida had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
212
-4.1% vs 2022
Employees
1,574
-12.7% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$130.1M
-6.0% vs 2022
Average pay
$82,656
+7.7% vs 2022
Over the years
United States, 2017 to 2023
Employees
Paid employees in mid-March
Business locations
Places with paid employees
By state
Employees of Air Traffic Control in each state, 2023
Employees by state
States with the most employees
Employees and the share of all the state's jobs
| State | Business locations | Employees | Average pay | Share of state jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 30 | 275* | $82,498 | 0.00% |
| Texas | 28 | 196* | $87,821 | 0.00% |
| New York | 8 | 81* | $49,111 | 0.00% |
| Oklahoma | 8 | 62* | $96,581 | 0.00% |
| Ohio | 9 | 54* | $79,426 | 0.00% |
| Massachusetts | 8 | 51* | $85,843 | 0.00% |
| Wisconsin | 9 | 49* | $75,367 | 0.00% |
| Kansas | 8 | 45* | $71,244 | 0.00% |
| Maryland | 6 | 43* | $75,279 | 0.00% |
| Illinois | 8 | 41* | $71,902 | 0.00% |
| North Carolina | 6 | 39* | $80,615 | 0.00% |
| Connecticut | 6 | 37* | $82,595 | 0.00% |
| South Carolina | 6 | 37* | $82,378 | 0.00% |
| Mississippi | 7 | 32* | $91,125 | 0.00% |
| West Virginia | 5 | 31* | $74,581 | 0.01% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 25.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Air Traffic Control employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 5 | 66* | $42,742 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 4 | 60* | $55,167 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 8 | 58* | $88,776 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 6 | 51* | $82,059 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 5 | 47* | $101,511 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 3 | 35* | $100,743 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | 3 | 30* | $76,367 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 4 | 29* | $73,793 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 3 | 24* | $101,250 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 3 | 22* | $67,864 |
| Columbus, OH | 3 | 21* | $87,667 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 4 | 19* | $75,158 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 3 | 18* | $87,389 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 3 | 13* | $108,769 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 3 | 13* | $89,538 |
Business size
US Air Traffic Control business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 35 | 16.6% |
| 5 to 9 | 160 | 75.8% |
| 10 to 19 | 12 | 5.7% |
| 20 to 49 | 4 | 1.9% |
| 50 to 99 | Not published | - |
| 100 to 249 | Not published | - |
| 250 to 499 | Not published | - |
| 500 to 999 | Not published | - |
| 1,000 or more | Not published | - |
Related industries
The industries this code belongs to
Part of Transportation and Warehousing 48-49Support Activities for Transportation 488Support Activities for Air Transportation 4881Airport Operations 48811
Questions and answers
How many people work in Air Traffic Control in the US?
1,574 people worked at 212 US Air Traffic Control business locations in 2023, down 12.7% from 2022. That is 0.00% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Air Traffic Control?
$82,656 a year per employee in 2023, from $130.1 million in annual payroll (up 7.7% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Air Traffic Control jobs?
Florida had the most, with 275 employees in 2023, followed by Texas (196) and New York (81).
Which metro areas have the most Air Traffic Control jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (66), Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL (60), Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (58) had the most Air Traffic Control employees in 2023.
Are most Air Traffic Control businesses small?
98.1% of the 211 Air Traffic Control business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 0 had 500 or more.
Official US government statistics, published once a year. Business locations are places with paid employees; employees are counted in mid-March; payroll covers the whole year. Covers most private employers, not the self-employed, most government workers or farm workers on farms. * Less accurate: changed by 5% or more to protect privacy. Changes from the year before are shown only when both years use the same edition of the industry codes.