Age before beauty, tango whiskey..

 

tw,
please see post #19, clear what you need to and I'll be happy to comply..

 

To summarize, under age 31 to hire on, must retire at 56, you'll get paid to go to the OKC ATC academy, then paid $31,700 (plus locality or COLA) at your first facility, then there are pay raises as you meet milestones toward certification.

The MOST money you will make will be at a facility in a high cost of living area PLUS the highest pay. Certainly, LA center is close to the highest paid, with an ATC-12 pay band and about 22% locality pay.

So, after 3 or 4 years, you get checked out, your pay is ATC-12, or $74,950, plus 22% locality.

Should you go to Podunk tower in No Wheres Ville, you'll get ATC-4 pay after you check out in about one year, or $37,200 plus the lowest locality pay of about 11%.

 

http://jobs.faa.gov/asap_detail.asp?vac_id=106136 This is the newest public announcement to be an OTS (Off the Street) Controller. If you need anymore information or help let me know.

 

To the OP . . . most of these vacancies give you the ability to pick a specific facility, so if you want to go to ROC, and only ROC, pick ROC . . . but if they aren't looking for anyone there, you'll be out of luck for a while, but hey, you never know.

Something else to consider . . . if you take a tower job somewhere and want to leave, it will probably be a minimum 3-4 years after you certify before they'll let you go. To leave my first tower, I quit and worked at a contract tower, then re-applied and got back into the FAA 4 months later (where I wanted to be). I've heard rumors that they're catching on to this little game though, so take that into consideration.

At the contract tower I made in the neighborhood of $53000/yr . . . the same as I make at a level 7 up/down facility right now in WI. I worked at a level 6 tower in the LA area last year and made $59000/yr, thanks to a 24% locality adjustment.

 

I think I read your story on the NATCA BBS. Certainly, it could be longer than 4 months. It took me ten years to get out of my first facility. There's a reason guys used to wear shirts at LA center adorned with "ZLA, Doing 25 to life". People did quit and get rehired where they wanted to go, but there was an unofficial one year out policy. They're so screwed up now, anything is possible, or not possible.

Many of these issues are a repeat of the post strike era (Aug 3, 1981). I hired on in the 80's, and because I scored over a certain threshold at the FAA academy, I was assigned a center (we didn't hire on to a facility, it was assigned based on merit). I think under a 70% score was failure, although I know of one who scored 69% and was offered Flight Service. Between 70% and 80% were assigned towers, above that to centers. No new hires went to stand alone approach controls then, like SoCal TRACON.

Then, the FAA academy was a 50% washout rate, and about a 40% washout rate at ZOA (Oakland Center, San Francisco Bay area), where I started, and spent my first 10 years.

Now, I'm told virtually everybody passes the academy, and it is no longer a "screen". At the facility level, there's a lot of pressure to sign off everybody (that includes marginal performers) because of the horrendous staffing at many, if not most facilities.

Six day work weeks, and ten hour days are in effect at many facilities. Low moral, a more marginal management team than their normal marginal level (fully staffed, by the way), and lots of hate and discontent. Over 200 quit last year. Not retired, not moving on to the "major" ATC company. Quit. Plenty got fired in their one year probationary time, one for not making it to work in weather that others didn't make to work either. 12 seasoned controllers from New York Approach (TRACON) were fired for "culture change", after they failed to check box 18a on their medical applications, and list their already FAA approved work compensation (NATCA got every one of them their jobs back in arbitration, without calling a witness). By the way, if you want to see these guys, watch the movie UAL93. They played the controllers in the movie while they were out of work.

Good luck.

 

Career Opportunity
U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Aviation Administration


Federal Aviation Administration Logo

Announcement Number : AAC-AMH-08-PUBNAT4-09989 Opening Date : Jun 17, 2008
Closing Date : Jun 30, 2008
Position : Air Traffic Control Specialist Trainee
Series : 2152
Business Component : Air Traffic Organization.
Duty Location(s) : Throughout The Nation, United States - Vacancies: Many
Salary Range : $17,046 - $22,591
FG-1 Information about Locality Pay
Information about COLA
Information about Citizenship
Who May Apply : All Sources
We are not accepting applications from non-citizens.
Job Status : Full Time
Appointment Duration : Temporary NTE - 13 months

 

If I wanted to only go to either KBTL or KAZO.... Would they let me know if I could get a spot at either of those before I go through training? Or do you complete training and then are assigned an airport? The reason I ask is I just bought a house and want to stay in the area but I am close to 4 controlled airports and wanted to know the likelihood of me being able to get one of them? Thanks!!

 

[quote=jmcmanna;405799]To the OP . . . most of these vacancies give you the ability to pick a specific facility, so if you want to go to ROC, and only ROC, pick ROC . . . but if they aren't looking for anyone there, you'll be out of luck for a while, but hey, you never know.

I just dont think that I could take that chance of not getting ROC. I really cant move right now due to family and personal reasons. I really cant afford to take the time to try and not get what I need and be stuck with nothing. Hope that makes sence. Thanks for all the input though everyone really appreciate it!

 

Last payscale I saw had "2007" stamped at the top. It still included ATC-12 facilities and as far as I know they are still in effect. That one had people topping out around 120K plus locality. Like you said, that's the MAX you're going to get. Min was 90K. The highest locality I saw was Houston at 27% followed by SoCal, DC, NY, etc. around 22%. Since Houston is cheaper (and hotter) then hell to live in, I can only imagine they're having trouble getting people to go there.

As far as I know, the pension is what was stated above and supplemented by a 401k. That's second-hand info from a buddy of mine whose got 20+ years at ATC. The majority of what I know is regarding the hiring process, everything else I'm learning from my friend plus what I read on here and on other boards. Get into it if you want, it probably won't be for everyone. Much like being an airline pilot, I'm sure people complain over there just as much as they do here.