Air Traffic Controller Career Assessment
Directing aircraft safely through the airspace
Welcome
Air traffic controllers keep aircraft a safe distance apart. They work in airport control towers, in radar approach control rooms, and in large en route centers that handle high-altitude traffic.
The pay is high and the training is paid, but there is a hard age limit. You will look at this honestly.
This takes about 15 minutes.
What is a Air Traffic Controller?
An air traffic controller gives instructions to pilots by radio and watches aircraft on radar and out the tower window. You tell aircraft when to take off, land, climb, descend, and turn, so that they stay apart. Nearly all of these jobs are with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The Reality: There is an age wall. You must generally be under 31 years old when you apply. There is also a mandatory retirement age. If you are over 31, this specific job is almost certainly closed to you, and that is worth knowing on page one instead of after you enroll somewhere.
Your Responsibilities:
- Watch radar screens and the airspace out the window
- Give pilots clear instructions by radio
- Keep required distance between aircraft
- Sequence aircraft for takeoff and landing
- Pass traffic and weather information to pilots
- Coordinate with other controllers and facilities
- Handle emergencies and lost aircraft calmly
- Keep exact records of what you did and why
People are alive at the end of your shift because you were paying attention.
A Day in the Life
6:00 AM — Take over the tower position. Get a full briefing from the controller you relieve.
6:15 AM — Clear the first departures. Check winds and the active runway.
8:00 AM — Morning rush. Several aircraft at once. You work fast and stay exact.
9:00 AM — Mandatory break. Controllers rotate off position on purpose.
10:00 AM — Back on. Snow shower moves in and you reroute two arrivals.
12:00 PM — Lunch and a longer break.
1:00 PM — Work ground control: taxiing aircraft, vehicles on the field.
2:30 PM — Hand off your position with a full briefing. Shift ends.
Intense focus in short blocks, with required breaks in between. Shift work, including nights and weekends.
Training in North Dakota
The FAA trains you and pays you while you train. You do not pay for controller training. The FAA hires you first, then trains you at its Academy in Oklahoma City and then at your assigned facility. There is also a college route, and North Dakota has one of the strongest programs in the country.
Training Pathways:
- Off the street (general public hiring): Apply when the FAA opens a public bid on USAJOBS. Pass the Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA), medical, and security, then go to the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City for several months of paid training.
- AT-CTI college route: Finish an FAA-approved Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative degree. Standard AT-CTI graduates still go to the Academy but skip the introductory Air Traffic Basics course.
- Enhanced AT-CTI (University of North Dakota): UND is an Enhanced AT-CTI school. Its graduates complete the FAA Academy tower curriculum on campus and can report straight to an FAA facility, skipping the Academy — after passing the ATSA and clearing medical and security.
Where to Train in North Dakota:
- University of North Dakota, John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences (Grand Forks) — Air Traffic Management, B.S. Aero, 120 credits, about 4 years. Enhanced AT-CTI school. Students train on 240-degree and 360-degree tower simulators and radar labs, and job shadow in real control towers. Accredited by the Aviation Accreditation Board International — und.edu/programs/air-traffic-management-bs-aero
- FAA Academy (Oklahoma City) — the FAA's own training center. Several months, paid, after you are hired. This is the main route for people who did not go to an AT-CTI school — faa.gov/atc-hiring
- U.S. military — Air Force, Navy, Army, Marine Corps and Coast Guard train air traffic controllers, and veteran controllers can apply to the FAA through separate hiring bids
- The current list of AT-CTI schools is kept by the FAA at faa.gov/jobs/students/schools
Before You Start: You must be a United States citizen, be under 31 years old when you apply, speak English clearly and fluently, and pass the ATSA, the medical exam, drug testing, a psychological evaluation, and a federal background check with fingerprinting. Check the current rules at faa.gov/atc-hiring before you plan around them.
Tip: Start with financial aid, scholarships, and any help an employer offers — that is where the money starts. After that, ask a career counselor or Job Service North Dakota whether WIOA or other programs can help with what is left over, like training, tools, work boots, or exam fees. What can be paid for depends on the program and on your own situation, so ask before you sign up rather than after. Registered apprenticeships let you earn a paycheck while you learn — see jobsnd.com/job-seeker/apprenticeships for ND programs.
Certification & Licensing
This is federal hiring, not a license you buy. The gates are age, the ATSA test, medical, and security. Everything here comes from the FAA. There is no North Dakota certification for air traffic control. Read the current requirements yourself at faa.gov/atc-hiring, because the FAA changes hiring rules.
What You Must Clear:
- Age: you must be under 31 years of age when you apply (faa.gov/atc-hiring). This is the single biggest barrier and there is no general waiver for it
- Mandatory retirement: controllers must retire at age 56, and can retire at 50 with 20 years of service. This is why the FAA caps the entry age
- U.S. citizenship is required
- English: you must speak English clearly and fluently. Radio work depends on it
- Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA): a 3.5-hour computer test of memory, attention, spatial reasoning, and multitasking. You need a "Well-Qualified" score
- Medical exam: the FAA gives controllers a medical exam. Vision, hearing, heart, neurological, and psychological health are all reviewed. Conditions that cause loss of consciousness, uncontrolled seizures, or that require medications affecting alertness are the common blockers
- Psychological evaluation and drug testing are part of the process
- Security clearance: fingerprinting and a federal background investigation. A serious criminal record, or drug or financial problems, can end the process
- FAA Academy: several months of paid training in Oklahoma City, unless you are an Enhanced AT-CTI graduate. Not everyone passes — washing out of the Academy is real
- Facility training: after the Academy you train for months or years at your assigned facility before you are fully certified. You do not choose where you are sent
The Exams: The ATSA is the entry test. After that come Academy exams and then facility certification checks on live traffic.
Cost: Nothing for FAA Academy training — the FAA pays you a salary while you train. A four-year AT-CTI degree costs regular college tuition. Apply for federal financial aid.
Keeping It Current: You keep your certification through regular training, proficiency checks, and an annual medical exam. Controllers are also drug and alcohol tested.
Salary & Job Outlook
North Dakota Air Traffic Controller Pay (May 2025):
- Starting out (bottom 10–25%): $28.11–$39.29/hour ($58,470–$81,720/year)
- Middle (median — half earn more, half earn less): $51.92/hour ($107,990/year)
- Experienced (top 25–10%): $64.26–$70.87/hour ($133,660–$147,410/year)
What that means: This is among the highest-paying jobs in North Dakota that does not require a graduate degree, and the FAA pays you while you train. Pay starts lower during Academy and facility training and rises sharply as you certify on positions. Busier facilities pay more.
Jobs in North Dakota: About 90 people do this work in ND today. By 2034, that should be about 90 (about no change). Expect about 10 job openings every year in ND from growth and people retiring or changing jobs. Across the U.S., the change is about 1% growth — slower than average.
Outlook: Very small but steady. About 90 controllers in North Dakota and roughly 10 openings a year. Nationally the FAA has been hiring hard to replace retiring controllers, so be willing to move where the FAA sends you.
Who Hires in ND: The Federal Aviation Administration, at towers and approach controls in Fargo, Grand Forks, Bismarck, and Minot. Some towers are run by FAA contract companies. The military also employs controllers. There are no private-sector controller jobs in the usual sense.
Work Setting: Control towers and windowless radar rooms. Shift work around the clock, including nights, weekends, and holidays. Mandatory rotation off position and required breaks, because the work is mentally intense.
Physical Demands: Low physical demand, very high mental demand. You sit or stand at a position and concentrate hard. You need good hearing, clear speech, and good vision. Handling stress without freezing is the real requirement.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, North Dakota, May 2025 (SOC 53-2021); North Dakota and U.S. long-term employment projections 2024–2034, via O*NET OnLine. Numbers are rounded.
Where This Leads
Path 1: Tower Controller — Handle aircraft landing, taking off, and taxiing.
Path 2: Approach or Departure Controller — Work radar near an airport.
Path 3: En Route Center Controller — Handle high-altitude traffic across big areas.
Path 4: Controller-in-Charge or Supervisor — Run a shift.
Path 5: Training Specialist — Train new controllers.
Path 6: FAA Staff or Safety Role — Move into airspace planning, quality assurance, or management.
The Real Talk
What's Great:
- Very high pay for the training required
- The FAA pays you while you train
- No tuition debt for the Academy route
- Federal benefits and a good retirement
- Early retirement is possible at 50 with 20 years
- Genuinely important, respected work
What's Hard:
- You must be under 31 to apply
- Shift work, nights, weekends, and holidays
- Very high stress and constant focus
- You do not choose where you are assigned
- Washing out of training is a real risk
- Mandatory retirement at 56
Be Honest: Are you under 31? Can you hold intense focus and talk clearly while several things happen at once? Can you accept shift work and move wherever the FAA assigns you?