Air Traffic Controllers Salary
The median pay for a air traffic controllers in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA is $94,140/year ($45.26/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $45K at the entry level to $142K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.44), so that salary is closer to $88,444 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,201/month, about 37.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $94K get you in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario’s Regional Price Parity (106.44). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About air traffic controllers
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What this looks like in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
Pay for air traffic controllers in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario runs about 36% below the U.S. median of $148K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,201/month, which is 37.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.44), so groceries and services cost more too. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for air traffic controllerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for air traffic controllers in metros near Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $173K | $152K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $193K | $167K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $196K | $184K |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $161K | $156K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
Entry-level air traffic controllers (10th percentile) start around $45K. Mid-career wages sit at $94K. Top earners bring in $142K or more, a $97K spread from bottom to top.
Air Traffic Controllers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Air Traffic Controllers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | $192K | +30% | 1,120 |
| Illinois | $182K | +23% | 990 |
| Georgia | $178K | +20% | 970 |
| Colorado | $177K | +20% | 740 |
| Minnesota | $177K | +19% | 680 |
| Texas | $170K | +15% | 2,060 |
| Washington | $163K | +10% | 620 |
| California | $160K | +8% | 2,290 |
| Kansas | $160K | +8% | 430 |
| Indiana | $159K | +7% | 630 |
| Hawaii | $159K | +7% | 210 |
| Utah | $158K | +7% | 360 |
| Tennessee | $157K | +6% | 590 |
| New Mexico | $149K | +0% | 350 |
| Florida | $148K | -0% | 1,950 |
| New York | $145K | -2% | 1,150 |
| Connecticut | $141K | -5% | N/A |
| Nevada | $141K | -5% | 210 |
| Arizona | $137K | -8% | 380 |
| Pennsylvania | $132K | -11% | 460 |
| New Jersey | $132K | -11% | 190 |
| Maryland | $131K | -11% | 70 |
| North Carolina | $129K | -13% | 410 |
| Kentucky | $128K | -14% | 230 |
| Rhode Island | $126K | -15% | 50 |
| Massachusetts | $125K | -16% | 120 |
| Alaska | $124K | -16% | 490 |
| Oklahoma | $123K | -17% | 270 |
| Missouri | $122K | -17% | 260 |
| Michigan | $119K | -20% | 360 |
| Alabama | $115K | -22% | 240 |
| South Carolina | $112K | -24% | 190 |
| Nebraska | $112K | -25% | 70 |
| Arkansas | $110K | -26% | 80 |
| Vermont | $109K | -26% | 30 |
| North Dakota | $108K | -27% | 100 |
| Maine | $107K | -28% | 70 |
| Montana | $101K | -32% | 60 |
| Louisiana | $100K | -33% | 230 |
| Wyoming | $94K | -37% | 40 |
| Iowa | $91K | -39% | 120 |
| Mississippi | $88K | -40% | 160 |
| District of Columbia | $48K | -68% | 820 |
Showing 1–10 of 43 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track air traffic controllers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a air traffic controller afford a 2BR apartment alone in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $94K, rent takes 37.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,201/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for air traffic controllers in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new air traffic controllers typically earn — is $45K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,671/month. At HUD’s $2,201/month FMR, rent would take 82% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is air traffic controller a high-paying job in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
Local pay runs 36% below the national median — $94K here vs. $148K nationally.
How does Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario compare to the national average for air traffic controllers?
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario pays $94K median vs. the U.S. average of $148K — that’s -36%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.44), the purchasing-power equivalent is $88K — below the national median.
How much do air traffic controllers make in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA?
The median is $94,140 a year, that works out to about $45 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $44,510, and experienced air traffic controllers can clear $141,650. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $94K enough to live in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,810/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,201/month, which eats 37.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a air traffic controllers salary go in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario has a Regional Price Parity of 106.44 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median air traffic controllers salary is worth about $88,444 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do air traffic controllers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.