How much do Air Traffic Controllers make in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?

Percentile spread

For Air Traffic Controllers, the published 10th percentile is $47,760 and the 90th percentile is $225,680. The difference is $177,920, which is 101.7% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $47,760 to the 75th at $207,670, covers $159,910.

The mean annual wage is $144,670, which sits below the median of $174,870. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median is 18.1% higher than the national median of $148,080 for Air Traffic Controllers. In 2024 national prices the local median is $160,602, which is 8.5% higher than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 266.1% higher than the District of Columbia median of $47,760.

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV covers more than one state. The state comparison uses District of Columbia, the primary state on the BLS area record.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV is 108.884, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $174,870 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Air Traffic Controllers at $160,602 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

2 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Air Traffic Controllers. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ranks 2nd of 3 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD is 138 miles away, with a median of $198,590 and employment of 220. That median is 13.6% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $193,644, against $160,602 here.
• Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC is 150 miles away, with a median of $119,230 and employment of 90. That median is 31.8% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $121,737, against $160,602 here.

Employment share

Air Traffic Controllers accounts for 0.06% of wage-and-salary employment in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV (1,800 of 3,136,190). Nationally the occupation is 0.01% of employment (22,510 of 155,495,730). The local share is 3.96 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.