Author Topic: starting salary for an air traffic controller (prior military)  (Read 9331 times)

Offline vpsegers

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starting salary for an air traffic controller (prior military)
« on: December 01, 2007, 12:05:44 AM »
Hello,

I was just curious if anyone knew the average starting salary for an air traffic controller after one finishes their tour of duty?



Offline DairyCreamer

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Re: starting salary for an air traffic controller (prior military)
« Reply #1 on: December 01, 2007, 12:15:47 AM »
In the FAA?

You get no benefit for your prior service.  You will be paid about $9 an hour plus $79 a day per diem while at OKC.  After OKC, you will take a pay cut at your assigned facility.  Right now, academy grad pay is a little less than $32k a year before locality pay.  If you go to a center, you'll sit at that for about a year (maybe more) before you see a raise.

The FAA blows right now.  Stay military or try to get a DoD job, I swear, it's better.  We are having a mass exodus of ex-military controllers leave the FAA for DoD jobs because 1.) They pay better 2.) they work less traffic, and 3.) They put up with infinitely less BS than the FAA is doling out right now.

~Nate

Offline vpsegers

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Re: starting salary for an air traffic controller (prior military)
« Reply #2 on: December 01, 2007, 03:03:26 AM »
wow, that sucks...

How much does DoD start entry salary at?

Offline cmhidinger

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Re: starting salary for an air traffic controller (prior military)
« Reply #3 on: December 01, 2007, 02:46:15 PM »
Technically I think the prior military make around $17 an hour ($32,000-$36000/year) at the academy while CTI's make around $9 ($18,000) not including per diem.  Thats if you even go to the academy right away.  If you go terminal, you'll go straight to your facility and possibly go to OKC later for Radar school if the facility you're at is an up/down.  Not all facilities are bad.  Mine is great and I love it.  But yes the pay sucks universally. 
hd

Offline DairyCreamer

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Re: starting salary for an air traffic controller (prior military)
« Reply #4 on: December 01, 2007, 04:28:59 PM »
Technically I think the prior military make around $17 an hour ($32,000-$36000/year) at the academy while CTI's make around $9 ($18,000) not including per diem.  Thats if you even go to the academy right away.  If you go terminal, you'll go straight to your facility and possibly go to OKC later for Radar school if the facility you're at is an up/down.  Not all facilities are bad.  Mine is great and I love it.  But yes the pay sucks universally. 
hd

Just before I left OKC (Nov '06), there was much talk about the FAA not grandfathering in the military pay for those guys, and starting everyone at the same exact wage.

Now, with per-diem in effect, being off the street will be a cake walk.  I went through without it, and the only way we (my wife and I) stayed above water was having her work a sheeut job out there while I attended class.

If you get the military pay instead of the GS-1 Step 1 screw job, PLUS per diem?  Shit, you'll be living like a king in OKC... but you're still gonna take a pay cut when you get to your facility thanks to losing that $79 a day per diem.

~Nate

Offline cmhidinger

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Re: starting salary for an air traffic controller (prior military)
« Reply #5 on: December 01, 2007, 08:26:16 PM »
It's unfortunate all around.  I'm debt free and barely make it on the $36K a year even where I live.  And trust me I live in a very low cost living part of the country (I turned down my offer in Ca).  I don't know what the FAA was thinking paying those guys 18K and no per diem.  Thats just nuts.  All we can do is hope it gets better...

Offline Towerboss

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Re: starting salary for an air traffic controller (prior military)
« Reply #6 on: December 01, 2007, 11:24:11 PM »
DOD salary starts at around GS-11.

TB   8-)