SOC Code 53-2021 - Air Traffic Controllers

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Air Traffic Controllers (SOC 53-2021) is a 2018 SOC detailed occupation with about 22,090 U.S. jobs and a mean annual wage of $120,140 (May 2025 OEWS).

Key facts for SOC 53-2021

Code
53-2021
O*NET® code
53-2021.00
Level
Detailed occupation, 2018 SOC
Official title
Air Traffic Controllers
Employment
22,090 in the United States
Hourly wage
$57.76 average
Annual wage
$120,140 average
Extended SOC
1 O*NET® occupation
Source
BLS, 2018 SOC. Wages and employment: May 2025 OEWS

Description

Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018 Standard Occupational Classification.

Control air traffic on and within vicinity of airport, and movement of air traffic between altitude sectors and control centers, according to established procedures and policies. Authorize, regulate, and control commercial airline flights according to government or company regulations to expedite and ensure flight safety.

Classification scope for SOC 53-2021

Included examples

Bureau of Labor Statistics illustrative examples for this SOC code.

  • Air Traffic Control Operator
  • Air Traffic Control Specialist
  • Air Traffic Controller
  • Air Traffic Coordinator
  • Airport Tower Controller
  • Control Tower Operator
  • Enroute Controller

Where SOC 53-2021 sits in the hierarchy

Major group 53-0000 Transportation and Material Moving Occupations Minor group 53-2000 Air Transportation Workers Broad occupation Direct parent 53-2020 Air Traffic Controllers and Airfield Operations Specialists
Detailed occupation Current 53-2021 Air Traffic Controllers

Extended SOC (O*NET®-SOC 31.0)

1 occupation

O*NET® child pages of this detailed SOC code. A suffix of .00 is the O*NET® occupation for this code. A higher suffix is a finer breakout. These are not additional official SOC codes.

Other detailed occupations (1)

Career video for Air Traffic Controllers

This video describes Air Traffic Controllers, including the career, work options, and abilities. Source: CareerOneStop.

Using SOC 53-2021

Use SOC 53-2021, Air Traffic Controllers, when that is the work performed. A more specific O*NET® occupation, when listed, is an Extended SOC code inside this SOC code.

What do Air Traffic Controllers do?

Control air traffic on and within vicinity of airport, and movement of air traffic between altitude sectors and control centers, according to established procedures and policies. Authorize, regulate, and control commercial airline flights according to government or company regulations to expedite and ensure flight safety.

How much do Air Traffic Controllers earn?

May 2025 OEWS reports a mean annual wage of $120,140 and a mean hourly wage of $57.76 for this occupation.

How many people work as Air Traffic Controllers in the U.S.?

May 2025 OEWS estimates 22,090 U.S. jobs in SOC 53-2021, Air Traffic Controllers.

Is SOC 53-2021 the same as an O*NET® code?

The official code is the six-digit SOC code 53-2021. Each O*NET® occupation is a child page of that code. 53-2021.00 Air Traffic Controllers is the .00 O*NET® child page for this SOC code.

Sources for SOC 53-2021

  • Official classification source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2018 Standard Occupational Classification. BLS SOC page
  • Extended SOC source This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. SICCODE.com has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
  • Wage and employment data U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. BLS OEWS

Published by SICCODE.com. The title and description are the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2018 SOC text. Wage and employment figures, when shown, are U.S. national estimates from the May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

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