How Much Do Air Traffic Controllers Make in the UK?

Find out what air traffic controllers earn, their training path, role responsibilities, challenges, and the top companies hiring in the aviation sector.

How Much Do Air Traffic Controllers Make? Full Role, Salary and Career Guide

Air traffic controllers play a vital role in keeping the skies safe. They manage the flow of aircraft both on the ground and in the air, ensuring safe distances between planes while juggling constant communication and decision-making. The job is high-pressure, but it also offers some of the best salaries in the UK without requiring a university degree.

This guide walks through the role, training process, salary bands, challenges, and future outlook for air traffic controllers in the UK.

Job Description: What Do Air Traffic Controllers Do?

Air traffic controllers are responsible for directing aircraft safely and efficiently. They coordinate take-offs, landings, and en-route navigation to ensure aircraft remain safely separated and follow regulations.

Core responsibilities:

  • Monitoring aircraft on radar systems

  • Giving pilots instructions on altitude, speed, and routing

  • Coordinating with airports and other air traffic control zones

  • Responding to emergencies or unexpected changes in weather or aircraft status

  • Logging and recording flight data

  • Managing restricted or congested airspace

They work in control towers (at airports), area control centres, or approach radar facilities.

How Hard Is It to Become One?

Becoming an air traffic controller is competitive and mentally demanding. The training process is intensive, testing your ability to process large volumes of data quickly while staying calm under pressure. You don’t need a degree, but you do need to pass rigorous aptitude tests, interviews, and formal training.

Only a small percentage of applicants pass the initial selection stages.

Traits and Characteristics You Need

Air traffic control isn’t about memorising rules—it’s about thinking clearly under pressure. You’ll need to be:

  • Decisive and calm under stress

  • Highly focused, with excellent concentration

  • Excellent at multitasking

  • Good with spatial awareness and logic

  • Strong communicators—clear, concise and confident on radio

  • Team-oriented, as coordination is key

  • Able to handle shift work, including nights and weekends

Do You Need Qualifications?

You don’t need a degree. The most common route is via NATS (National Air Traffic Services), which runs a structured training programme.

Minimum requirements:

  • 5 GCSEs at grade 4/C or above, including Maths and English

  • Pass the NATS online aptitude tests and assessments

  • Be at least 18 years old

  • Pass a Class 3 medical exam

  • Have the right to work in the UK

Training is paid, and once qualified, you’ll be certified by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

How Long Do You Need to Study?

NATS training typically takes 12–18 months at their training college in Hampshire, followed by on-the-job training at a unit (e.g. airport tower or radar centre). The total time to fully qualify is around 2–3 years, depending on your role and location.

What Are the Different Levels and Specialisations?

There are three main types of air traffic controllers:

  1. Aerodrome (Tower) Controllers – manage aircraft on the ground and in the immediate airspace

  2. Approach Controllers – guide planes in and out of local airspace (within ~40–50 miles of airport)

  3. Area (En-route) Controllers – manage aircraft in transit between airports over large regions

Each has its own training path and complexity. En-route controllers usually work in large regional control centres like Swanwick (South England) or Prestwick (Scotland).

What Experience Do You Need?

You don’t need aviation experience to apply, but you'll need:

  • Successful completion of NATS selection stages

  • Training course at the college and unit validation

  • Ongoing assessments to maintain licence

  • Strong personal discipline—controllers must revalidate regularly and meet health/mental fitness standards

Benefits of Being an Air Traffic Controller

  • High salary even without a university degree

  • Job security in a highly skilled, regulated profession

  • Clear career progression and structure

  • Opportunities to work internationally (with additional licensing)

  • Excellent pension and benefits, especially in NATS

  • Fast-paced but structured environment

  • Paid training from day one

Drawbacks and Negatives

  • Intense pressure: Lives are literally in your hands

  • Long shifts and odd hours: Includes weekends, overnights, and holidays

  • Extensive screening: Aptitude tests, psychological testing, and ongoing fitness

  • Strict rules: High responsibility with low room for error

  • Long path to qualification: You may relocate or wait for unit placement

Air Traffic Controller Salary Levels in the UK

Pay varies based on role, experience, and location.

  • Trainee (during training): £17,000–£27,000

  • Newly Qualified (1–3 yrs): £35,000–£50,000

  • Experienced Controller: £60,000–£90,000

  • Senior/Specialist Roles: £95,000–£120,000+

Tax Example:

An air traffic controller earning £85,000/year would pay:

  • Income Tax: approx. £20,432

  • National Insurance: approx. £5,649

  • Take-home pay: around £58,900/year or £1,132/week

Additional shift allowances and overtime can increase earnings further.

What’s the Future for This Role?

Air traffic control will remain essential, but automation and remote towers are changing how the job is done. Controllers now work alongside advanced radar systems and AI-supported technology, but human decision-making is still critical—especially in emergencies or abnormal situations.

Demand is likely to grow with:

  • Post-COVID air traffic recovery

  • Expansion of drone/UAV traffic requiring regulation

  • International need for trained, English-speaking ATCs

Best Companies and Organisations to Work For

Top UK employers include:

  • NATS (National Air Traffic Services) – main provider of UK air traffic control

  • BAE Systems – military and contract ATC services

  • Air Navigation Solutions (ANS) – private ATC provider for some airports

  • Eurocontrol – Europe-wide air traffic coordination (based in Brussels)

  • RAF / Military Air Traffic Control – for defence-based roles

  • Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester Airports Group – large commercial tower roles

Working at NATS is considered the gold standard in the UK, offering world-class training and pay.

Final Thought

Air traffic control is one of the highest-paying, most intense careers that doesn’t require a degree. If you're calm under pressure, love structure, and want a career where performance matters more than qualifications, it’s worth exploring. The training is tough, but the reward is a respected, well-compensated profession with real purpose.