What You'll Do

  • Issue landing and take-off authorizations or instructions.
  • Monitor or direct the movement of aircraft within an assigned air space or on the ground at airports to minimize delays and maximize safety.
  • Monitor aircraft within a specific airspace, using radar, computer equipment, or visual references.
  • Inform pilots about nearby planes or potentially hazardous conditions, such as weather, speed and direction of wind, or visibility problems.
  • Provide flight path changes or directions to emergency landing fields for pilots traveling in bad weather or in emergency situations.
  • Alert airport emergency services in cases of emergency or when aircraft are experiencing difficulties.
  • Direct pilots to runways when space is available or direct them to maintain a traffic pattern until there is space for them to land.
  • Transfer control of departing flights to traffic control centers and accept control of arriving flights.
  • Direct ground traffic, including taxiing aircraft, maintenance or baggage vehicles, or airport workers.
  • Determine the timing or procedures for flight vector changes.

Essential Skills

Active Listening 4.38/5
Speaking 4.25/5
Critical Thinking 4.12/5
Judgment and Decision Making 4.12/5
Monitoring 4.0/5
Complex Problem Solving 4.0/5
Coordination 3.88/5
Reading Comprehension 3.75/5
Active Learning 3.75/5
Time Management 3.5/5
Social Perceptiveness 3.38/5
Operations Monitoring 3.25/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to sense whether the day to day rhythm and focus of this path line up with what energizes you.

Top passions

  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.
  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
  • Leader: Taking charge and moving ideas forward motivates you.

Common styles

Stress Tolerance, Attention to Detail, Dependability, Adaptability/Flexibility, Persistence

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Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Problem Sensitivity 4.75/5
Oral Comprehension 4.62/5
Oral Expression 4.62/5
Selective Attention 4.5/5
Deductive Reasoning 4.38/5
Inductive Reasoning 4.25/5
Speed of Closure 4.25/5
Flexibility of Closure 4.25/5

Technologies & Tools

Adobe Acrobat Advanced technologies and oceanic procedures ATOP Automated radar terminal systems ARTS Center TRACON automation systems CTAS Direct-to-tool software En route descent advisor EDA Enterprise resource planning ERP software Expedite departure path EDP software Final approach spacing tool FAST Flight simulation software Microsoft Access Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft Outlook Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft Word Multi-center traffic management advisor McTMA Really Simple Syndication RSS SAP software Traffic management advisor TMA software

Work Environment & Style

Common Styles for This Career

  • Stress Tolerance (High importance: 4.65/5)
  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.64/5)
  • Dependability (High importance: 4.45/5)
  • Adaptability/Flexibility (High importance: 4.39/5)
  • Persistence (High importance: 4.34/5)

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How to Become One

This career typically requires vocational school, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some specialized training or certification may also be required.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Access Control Specialist Air Route Controller Air Route Traffic Controller Air Traffic Control Operator Air Traffic Control Specialist (ATCS) Air Traffic Control Support Specialist (ATC Support Specialist) Air Traffic Controller (ATC) Air Traffic Coordinator Air Traffic Manager Aircraft Communicator Airline Dispatcher Airport Tower Controller Airport Traffic Controller Airway Controller Airway Traffic Controller Airways Control Specialist Airways Operations Specialist Center Air Traffic Controller (Center ATC) Certified Professional Controller (CPC) Communications Officer Communications Operator Control Tower Operator Controls Specialist Dispatcher Enroute Air Traffic Controller (Enroute ATC) Enroute Controller Flight Communications Officer Flight Control Specialist Flight Controller Flight Dispatcher Flight Radio Officer Flight Radio Operator Flight Service Specialist Flight Tower Dispatcher Ground Control Approach Technician (GCA Technician) Radar Air Traffic Controller Signal Tower Operator Station Air Traffic Control Specialist Technical Communicator Terminal Air Traffic Control Specialist (Terminal ATC Specialist) Tower Air Traffic Control Specialist Tower Air Traffic Controller (Tower ATC) Tower Control Operator Traffic Control Manager Traffic Control Specialist Traffic Management Coordinator Traffic Supervisor