"The shutdown reignited debate over controller salaries after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on X that new hires start at $180,000 and can make up to $400,000. But the National Air Traffic Controllers Association and three working controllers told Business Insider those numbers are unfounded and that it takes most controllers years to reach those levels, if they ever do."
""A majority of our controllers do not make anywhere near that money, especially on the $400,000 side," NATCA union president Nick Daniels said, adding that new hires start in the mid-five figures. Washington, D.C.-based controller Pete LeFevre said some colleagues turned to gig work during the shutdown because they live paycheck to paycheck. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics shows the estimated mean annual wage for controllers is about $137,000."
The longest U.S. government shutdown ended, and air traffic controllers who missed paychecks will receive full back pay to cover overdue bills. Claims that new hires start at $180,000 and can earn up to $400,000 sparked debate; the union and multiple controllers say those figures are inaccurate and that most controllers take years to reach high pay, if ever. New hires typically start in the mid-five figures and some turned to gig work during the shutdown. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics estimates a mean annual wage of about $137,000, while the DOT cites averages above $160,000 within three years of academy graduation. A 2016 contract with 1.6% annual raises remains in effect through at least 2029.
Read at Business Insider
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