Air traffic controller vs air traffic supervisor

The differences between air traffic controllers and air traffic supervisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an air traffic supervisor has an average salary of $59,903, which is higher than the $49,141 average annual salary of an air traffic controller.

The top three skills for an air traffic controller include federal aviation administration, air traffic control and NAS. The most important skills for an air traffic supervisor are air traffic control, federal aviation administration, and facility training program.

Air traffic controller vs air traffic supervisor overview

	Air Traffic Controller	Air Traffic Supervisor
Yearly salary	$49,141	$59,903
Hourly rate	$23.63	$28.80
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	17,944	3,587
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	-	-

Air traffic controller vs air traffic supervisor salary

Air traffic controllers and air traffic supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Air Traffic Controller	Air Traffic Supervisor
Average salary	$49,141	$59,903
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $90,000	Between $35,000 And $101,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	-
Highest paying state	Connecticut	-
Best paying company	SAIC	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between air traffic controller and air traffic supervisor education

There are a few differences between an air traffic controller and an air traffic supervisor in terms of educational background:

	Air Traffic Controller	Air Traffic Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Aviation	Business
Most common college	SUNY Farmingdale	SUNY Farmingdale

Air traffic controller vs air traffic supervisor demographics

Here are the differences between air traffic controllers' and air traffic supervisors' demographics:

	Air Traffic Controller	Air Traffic Supervisor
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 78.1% Female, 21.9%	Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 7.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 5.3% White, 59.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 7.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 5.2% White, 60.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between air traffic controller and air traffic supervisor duties and responsibilities

Air traffic controller example responsibilities.

Lead recruitment and training for first ever associate operational combat flying organization.
Assign as SME for the Milstar AFCPT maintenance course.
Represent the hospital by attending the monthly APIC meetings.
Comply with all AWP policies, procedures and safety requirements.
Have certification in traffic control, CPR, and OSHA.
Assist in the creation of several (NOTAMS) notice to airmen.

Air traffic supervisor example responsibilities.

Lead recruitment and training for first ever associate operational combat flying organization.
Maintain TSA regulations for headquarters and all satellite offices.
Keep track of ISF filing for LCL shipments, making sure they're file on timely manner.
Maintain airspace boundaries and issue traffic alerts as necessary, providing mission coordination assistance, and disseminate weather information as required.
Perform OJTI and CIC duties.
Perform lean logistics requirements by recognizing and eliminating wasteful activities from the supply chain and successfully increase product efficiency.

Air traffic controller vs air traffic supervisor skills

Common air traffic controller skills

Federal Aviation Administration, 21%
Air Traffic Control, 20%
NAS, 18%
Maximize Safety, 3%
CTO, 3%
Emergency Situations, 3%

Common air traffic supervisor skills

Air Traffic Control, 29%
Federal Aviation Administration, 9%
Facility Training Program, 7%
Safety Alerts, 7%
Airfield Operations, 6%
USAF, 4%

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Air Traffic Controller vs Air Traffic Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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