Air Traffic Controller.
Seattle.
$154,000
median salary, 20% above the national average
$111,000 to $207,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
The median Air Traffic Controller salary in Seattle is $154,000, 20% above the national average. Entry level starts near $111,000. Experienced professionals push past $207,000. Seattle is home to Amazon, Microsoft, and a dense cluster of cloud computing, gaming, and AI companies. That spread is your negotiation window. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Air Traffic Controller in Seattle, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $175,280 for Air Traffic Controllers (SOC 53-2021) in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metropolitan area, based on 510 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$96,640
25th percentile
$125,340
Median
$175,280
75th percentile
$200,780
90th percentile
$215,840
Workers surveyed
510
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Air Traffic Controllers (SOC 53-2021) rather than Air Traffic Controller specifically. The Seattlerange at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 53-2021Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $139,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$100,000
to $123,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$131,000
to $162,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$169,000
to $200,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$193,000
to $239,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $32,000 to the total package.
Base
$154,000
Equity
$17,000
Bonus
$12,000
Signing
$3,000
Estimated total: $186,000
How Seattle compares.
Seattle, WA
$154,000
Cost of living: 24% above average
National Average
$128,000
Seattle is $26,000 above
Air Traffic Controller salary by city.
Salary by role in Seattle.
What you should know.
If you are interviewing for Air Traffic Controller roles in Seattle, here is what you are walking into. Seattle is home to Amazon, Microsoft, and a dense cluster of cloud computing, gaming, and AI companies. The presence of major tech headquarters drives some of the highest engineering salaries outside the Bay Area. Seattle's job market is particularly strong for cloud infrastructure, machine learning, and enterprise software roles. Facility level is the dominant factor, with controllers at high-traffic terminals and en-route centers earning significantly more than those at smaller towers. Geographic locality pay adjustments and overtime availability also create meaningful variance across positions.
Trainees at the FAA Academy earn $40,000 to $55,000. Certified professional controllers at lower-level facilities make $92,000 to $110,000. Moving to a high-level facility pushes pay to $140,000 to $172,000, with supervisory roles reaching $180,000 or more. In Seattle, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 24% above average, and employers adjust to compete.
Base salary is not the full picture. Federal controllers receive FERS retirement, Thrift Savings Plan matching up to 5%, and locality-adjusted pay. Premium pay for night shifts, holidays, and overtime can add 10 to 25% above base salary. And on the tax side: washington State has no personal income tax, which significantly boosts take home pay. However, state and local sales taxes are among the highest in the country at roughly 10.25%. When someone quotes you $154,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Remind employers that no state income tax makes your effective compensation higher. You can accept a slightly lower gross salary and still take home more than in California. The range for Air Traffic Controllers in Seattle runs from $111,000 to $207,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
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Common questions.
Air Traffic Controller salary in other cities.
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