As far as I know, the academy at OKC is only a couple months. It will take a fair amount of time to certify at your facility, depending on where you go but I believe as long as you are officially "hired" prior to your 28th birthday you are ok.

 

you ever thought about going into the military for ATC? I've thought about going into the Air National Guard as a controller to supplement my flying career... I would be there right now if it didn't mean the year or so I'd be giving up building time.

 

If everything stays the same after Jan 21, 2009, you'll get a FERS retirement with special provisions for ATC, Federal Firefighters and Federal Law Enforcement.

Those provisions are 25 years of ATC service (2152 series), retirement at any age, or 20 years service and age 50. Your retirement is calculated on your highest salary over a continuous 36 months of credible service.

So, if you made 100k per annum for 36 continuous months, and worked 20 years of credible service (and age 50), you would receive an immediate pension of 1.7% per year of service (times 20 years), or 34% of 100k.

In addition, there's currently a social security payment, but it's any guess where that'll be in 20 or 30 years from now. Finally, there's a 401(k) type plan (called TSP) that matches contributions up to 5%. The max contribution this year per IRS regulation is about $15k (or 10k your tax deferred money, and 5k of the agency's using the 100k annual salary example).

You must be hired before age 31, and must retire in the month that you become 56.

I'm not the expert on the imposed B scale pay plan of Sept 2006, but for a good primer, try:


http://faaimposedpayrules.natca.net/

Old work rules for controllers prior to Sept 2006:

http://atpayplan.natca.net/

I think that you'll need to be on the boards for a few decades to hit that $98k number. Getting checked out may get you 68k. Yes, there is locality pay on top of the base pay.

The pay scale goes from an ATC-4 (El Monte, California tower is an ATC-5) to an ATC-12 (LA Center, SoCal approach).

Yes, there is locality pay on top of the base pay. The lowest is about 11%, the highest about 27%. Hawaii and Alaska do not get locality pay, but instead receive a 25% Cost of Living Allowance (not factored into your base pay for retirement calculations).

 

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I just retired from the FAA May 25th. When I got hired the max age was 31. The retirement is 20 years at age 50 or 25 years at any age. The max age to control is 56. It was 31 plus 25 equals 56 thus the reason for the age 31. It has changed so much over the years. I retired the day I was eligible because it was a miserable place to work. The management sux big time (I call it the cess pool theory. The Terds float to the top.) If you think airline management is bad you need to see the clowns that run the FAA (I've worked in the airline industry also.) Pay has been cut big time for the new hires. Medical benefits aren't that great and they changed the retirement to a new retirement right after I hired on in 82. Luckily, I am under the old retirement system (CSRS.) The new retirement systems depends a lot on Social Security if that tells you anything. Also there is no mandate for excellence. The FAA is mediocrity at its finest. Their version of productivity is take the work of 2 people, have 4 people do it and claim an increase in productivity. The FAA is becoming just like the airlines when it comes to pay and benefits. I have noticed over the years the employees that never complained and bent over backwards to help management out are becoming extremely rare and few and far between these days. Even these employees are disgruntled. If you want to become a controller, knock yourself out but let me warn you, when the new wears off the odds are great you will be miserable. Oh and for the record, Pushing Tin was one of the stupidest movies I have ever seen. The only thing that was accurate was the phraseology.

 

If you don't get privatized just like Flight Service did in Oct 2005 (where you'll get no pension unless you're eligible to retire prior). One day short ? Too bad. But, thanks for your 19 years and 355 days.

After the academy in OKC, where you'll be paid less than $9 hour plus per diem, you'll go on to your facility where you'll get $31,700 per year.

Then, if you check out in a few years, you'll get the following plus whatever locality applies.

Here's the ATC- "B" pay scale:

ATC Level


Minimum



4- $37,200


5- $37,200


6- $44,750


7- $45,300


8- $52,850


9- $55,200


10-$62,750


11-$67,400


12-$74,950



Maximum (after a boat load of years)



4- $50,050


5- $50,050


6- $57,600


7- $62,650


8- $70,200


9--$78,050


10-$85,600


11-$96,950


12-$104,500

 

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No, it's 31

 

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My pay when I retired was above $160K/yr (No overtime at all). We had some controllers that made over $200K/yr with a lot of overtime. You may think that for that much money you could be happy with anything but trust me, that's not the case. The treatment gets old and money doesn't make up for it. Take it from someone that has lived it!!!!!