How to Become an Air Traffic Controller
How to Become an Air Traffic Controller (2026)
Written by Amanda Staniec, former FAA Controller, Oakland Center (ZOA) · FAA Training Representative · Updated June 2026
The short answer: Apply through USAJobs during an FAA hiring announcement before your 31st birthday. Pass the ATSA (a cognitive aptitude test — no aviation knowledge required). Pass a medical and background check. Attend the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City (2–5 months). Report to your assigned facility and complete developmental training until you're a Certified Professional Controller. The step most applicants underestimate: preparing for the ATSA.
The process from "I'm interested" to "I'm a certified controller" takes several years and has several distinct gates. Most people wash out not because they're unqualified — but because they hit a gate they didn't prepare for. Here's each step, what it involves, and what you need to know.
The full path — step by step
Check your eligibility
The most critical requirement most people don't know: you must apply before your 31st birthday. US citizenship is required. You need to have one year of progressively responsible work experience, or a Bachelor's degree, or a combination of post-secondary education and work experience that totals one year. No aviation background needed. If you're in your mid-to-late 20s, the window is right now — don't wait.
Full eligibility requirements →Watch for an FAA hiring announcement on USAJobs.gov
The FAA posts off-the-street hiring announcements on USAJobs.gov. You may find hiring announcements by following the official FAA Facebook or Instagram page. These open windows can be short (days to weeks) and close quickly. In 2026, the FAA is actively hiring 2,200+ controllers — announcements are appearing more frequently than in past years. Set an alert on USAJobs for "air traffic control trainee."
Apply and pass the biographical assessment
After applying, some hiring rounds include a biographical assessment — a multiple-choice questionnaire about your background and work style. The FAA uses this to screen applicants before the ATSA. Pass rates depend on the cohort; focus on honest, consistent answers that reflect work ethic, responsibility, and stress tolerance.
Pass the ATSA — the most important gate
The ATSA (Air Traffic Skills Assessment) is the cognitive aptitude test that determines whether you advance. It measures spatial reasoning, working memory, multitasking ability, and information processing speed — not aviation knowledge. Most people who fail the ATSA aren't unqualified. They just didn't prepare for a cognitive test they'd never seen before. This is the gate where preparation matters most.
ATSA Practice Test — $49.99 →Medical exam and security investigation
If you pass the ATSA, you'll be required to pass a medical examination (FAA Class 2 medical) and a security investigation/background check. Vision, hearing, and cognitive/psychological fitness are assessed. The security investigation is a standard federal background check.
FAA Academy — Oklahoma City (2–4 months)
The FAA Academy in Oklahoma City is the centralized training facility where all new controllers must train before receiving a facility assignment. To begin, you will complete the foundational Air Traffic Basics course, which requires a minimum score of 70% on the final exam to pass. Following successful completion of Basics, you will advance to your specialized terminal or en route curriculum track. This rigorous phase combines intensive classroom academics with high-fidelity simulation training designed to replicate live operational environments. To successfully graduate from the Academy and earn your first facility placement, you must maintain passing academic grades and achieve a minimum score of 70% on the final simulation performance evaluation—a demanding pace that catches many students by surprise.
Basics Prep Course — prepare before you arrive →Report to your assigned facility — begin on-the-job training
Upon graduation from the FAA Academy, you will be assigned to an operational facility based on your final class ranking among the slots available at that time, as determined by agency requirements. You will report to your first facility as a developmental controller, initially progressing through simulation training tailored to local facility adaptations before advancing to live, on-the-job training (OJT) under the direct supervision of certified professional controllers.
Certify on all positions — become a CPC
The certification process at your facility involves training on each position one at a time, demonstrating proficiency under general supervision, and eventually holding a Certified Professional Controller (CPC) rating for the facility. Timeline varies: 1–5 years depending on facility complexity. This is the finish line — and when your salary reaches its facility ceiling.
How long does it take to become an air traffic controller?
From application to CPC certification, the realistic timeline is 1-3 years depending on the facility you're assigned to and how quickly you progress through developmental training. Here's a rough breakdown:
Application, ATSA, medical, background check
From application submission to receiving an Academy report date can take anywhere from 2 months to 18+ months depending on the hiring cycle and your ATSA score tier. Well Qualified applicants typically wait less.
FAA Academy, Oklahoma City
Basics course (4 weeks) + initial facility-track curriculum (~7.5 – 12 weeks). Achieve a minimum score of 70% on the Basics final exam to advance to facility-track training, where you must earn a cumulative score of 70% or higher across both academics and the final simulation evaluation to graduate
Developmental at assigned facility
Working under supervision, certifying on positions one at a time. Low-complexity facilities may take 1–2 years for full certification. High-complexity facilities (major TRACONs, ARTCCs) can take 3–5 years.
Certified Professional Controller (CPC)
Full facility certification. You now hold every position at your facility (tower) or area (Radar) and earn the top pay for your facility level.
Do you need a degree to become an air traffic controller?
No — not for off-the-street applicants. The FAA requires a high school diploma (or GED) and either have one year of progressively responsible work experience, or a Bachelor's degree, or a combination of post-secondary education and work experience that totals one year. Many successful controllers came from completely unrelated fields: logistics, military, tech, sales, teaching.
I want to be clear about this because it's one of the most common misunderstandings: you do not need to be a pilot, you do not need an aviation degree, and you do not need military service to become an FAA air traffic controller as an off-the-street applicant. The ATSA tests cognitive skills, not aviation knowledge. The Academy teaches you everything you need to know about actual ATC work. What you need coming in is the cognitive aptitude to do the job — and that's something you can prepare for.
The one thing most applicants get wrong
The ATSA is not a knowledge test. It's a cognitive assessment. People who've been aviation enthusiasts for years walk in expecting to use their knowledge — and find that none of it applies. People who've never thought about aviation before walk in and find the test measures something they're actually good at.
Most people who fail the ATSA don't fail because they're not smart enough. They fail because they've never practiced the specific cognitive tasks the test measures under time pressure. Spatial reasoning under a clock. Working memory while processing new information. Multitasking with multiple streams of data. These are skills you can improve with deliberate practice — but only if you know to practice them before test day.
From Amanda — on applying "off the street"
I had no aviation background when I applied. I didn't own a pilot's license. I'd never been in a cockpit. I found out about the ATSA about a week before I took it and didn't know what to expect. I passed — but I've watched a lot of people who were smarter and more motivated than me fail that test because the format was completely foreign to them. If I were doing it over again, I'd spend two weeks specifically practicing spatial reasoning and multitasking exercises before I walked in. That's all. That's the preparation most people skip.
If you are eliminated from the hiring or training pipeline prior to achieving full certification, re-entering the process becomes exceptionally difficult, if not entirely impossible. When you only get one shot at a lucrative, highly rewarding career with elite benefits, going in unprepared is not an option!
Step 4 is where most applicants lose.
The ATSA Practice Test covers all 5 sections — same format, same timing, section-by-section scoring.
Frequently asked questions
How hard is it to become an air traffic controller?
Selective — roughly 2% of all applicants become certified controllers (GAO data). The main gates are the ATSA cognitive test, the FAA Academy Basics final (pass-or-go-home at 70%), and developmental training at your facility. Each gate is passable with the right preparation. The competition thins significantly after the ATSA.
Can anyone become an air traffic controller?
Off-the-street applicants need: US citizenship, one year of progressively responsible work experience, or a Bachelor's degree, or a combination of post-secondary education and work experience that totals one year. Application submitted before age 31, passing the ATSA and medical exam, and completing the FAA Academy and facility training. No aviation background or special degree is required.
What is the ATSA test?
The Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA) is a high-pressure aptitude exam designed to evaluate the core cognitive abilities required of an air traffic controller. Rather than testing aviation knowledge, it isolates and measures short-term memory, mental arithmetic, and visual spatial reasoning. Through interactive radar simulations and time-constrained testing, it evaluates multitasking, split-second decision-making, logical deduction, and emotional stability under stress. Performance across these dimensions determines whether an applicant ranks within the highly competitive Best Qualified or Well Qualified tiers necessary to secure an employment offer.
Do I get paid during air traffic school ?
The FAA provides fully paid training throughout your time at the Academy, offering a starting wage of $22.61 per hour. In addition to this hourly salary, eligible trainees receive a long-term per diem allowance of $119.60 per day to cover lodging, meals, and incidental expenses. The FAA Academy per diem is completely non-taxable.
What is the age limit to become an air traffic controller?
Off-the-street applicants must apply before their 31st birthday. Military-experienced controllers have a different age ceiling. The 31-year cutoff is firm for civilian applicants — there are no exceptions. If you're in your 20s and considering this career, the window is open now.