Airport tower controller demographics and statistics in the US
On this page
Airport tower controller demographics by:
Airport tower controller gender statistics
14.7% of airport tower controllers are women and 85.3% of airport tower controllers are men.
- Male, 85.3%
- Female, 14.7%
Airport tower controller gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 85.3% |
| Female | 14.7% |
Airport tower controller gender pay gap
Women earn $1.09 for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$46,456
Female income
$50,477
Airport tower controller gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in airport tower controller positions over time. Currently, 14.7% of airport tower controllers are female.
Airport tower controller gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 84.34% | 15.66% |
| 2011 | 85.46% | 14.54% |
| 2012 | 82.15% | 17.85% |
| 2013 | 87.16% | 12.84% |
| 2014 | 79.99% | 20.01% |
| 2015 | 83.11% | 16.89% |
| 2016 | 82.42% | 17.58% |
| 2017 | 86.85% | 13.15% |
| 2018 | 84.43% | 15.57% |
| 2019 | 86.81% | 13.19% |
| 2020 | 82.35% | 17.65% |
| 2021 | 85.29% | 14.71% |
Airport tower controller related jobs gender ratio
We compared airport tower controllers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, airline transport pilot and combat control have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Airline Flight Attendant | 16% | 84% |
| International Flight Attendant | 21% | 79% |
| Flight Attendant | 21% | 79% |
| Airport Tower Controller | 85% | 15% |
| Agricultural Aviation Pilot | 98% | 2% |
| Combat Control | 98% | 2% |
| Airline Transport Pilot | 98% | 2% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Airport tower controller demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among airport tower controllers is White, which makes up 67.3% of all airport tower controllers. Comparatively, 14.0% of airport tower controllers are Hispanic or Latino and 7.2% of airport tower controllers are Unknown.
- White, 67.3%
- Hispanic or Latino, 14.0%
- Unknown, 7.2%
- Black or African American, 5.9%
- Asian, 4.9%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
Airport tower controller race
| Airport tower controller race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 67.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 14.0% |
| Unknown | 7.2% |
| Black or African American | 5.9% |
| Asian | 4.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.7% |
Airport tower controller race and ethnicity over time
See how airport tower controller racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Airport tower controller race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 79.12% | 8.72% | 2.13% | 7.66% |
| 2011 | 77.19% | 9.65% | 1.97% | 7.68% |
| 2012 | 76.75% | 6.36% | 2.63% | 9.21% |
| 2013 | 74.27% | 11.29% | 3.39% | 7.00% |
| 2014 | 76.60% | 8.30% | 2.55% | 7.87% |
| 2015 | 74.04% | 7.45% | 5.11% | 11.06% |
| 2016 | 77.55% | 8.84% | 1.59% | 7.71% |
| 2017 | 80.68% | 5.80% | 2.66% | 7.49% |
| 2018 | 74.49% | 9.28% | 3.45% | 10.15% |
| 2019 | 77.45% | 5.49% | 1.96% | 10.98% |
| 2020 | 74.58% | 7.63% | 2.82% | 11.30% |
| 2021 | 67.30% | 5.94% | 4.88% | 14.01% |
Airport tower controller wage gap by race
According to our data, unknown airport tower controllers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Hispanic or latino airport tower controllers have the lowest average salary at $41,601.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $52,212 |
| White | $49,850 |
| Black or African American | $44,817 |
| Asian | $44,587 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $41,601 |
Average airport tower controller age
See how the average age of airport tower controllers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Airport tower controller age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 39 | |
| White | 37 | 40 |
| Black or African American | 41 | |
| Asian | 38 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 32.5 |
Airport tower controller age breakdown
The average age of airport tower controllers is 40+ years years old, representing 44% of the airport tower controller population.
Airport tower controller age breakdown
| Airport Tower Controller Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 44% |
| 30-40 years | 33% |
| 20-30 years | 21% |
Airport tower controller educational attainment
The most common degree for airport tower controllers is bachelor's degree, with 63% of airport tower controllers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 25% and associate degree degree at 6%.
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Associate, 25%
- High School Diploma, 6%
- Master's, 6%
Airport tower controllers by degree level
| Airport tower controller degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 63% |
| Associate | 25% |
| High School Diploma | 6% |
| Master's | 6% |
Airport tower controller jobs you might like
Airport tower controller wage gap by degree level
According to the data, airport tower controllers with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $54,211 annually. With a Associate degree, airport tower controllers earn a median annual income of $51,109 compared to $40,000 for airport tower controllers with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $40,000 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $54,211 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $51,109 |
Airport tower controller turnover and employment statistics
Airport tower controller unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for airport tower controllers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Airport tower controller unemployment rate by year
| Year | Airport tower controller unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 3.13% |
| 2011 | 5.60% |
| 2012 | 3.41% |
| 2013 | 2.89% |
| 2014 | 0.51% |
| 2015 | 2.03% |
| 2016 | 2.34% |
| 2017 | 1.44% |
| 2018 | 3.12% |
| 2019 | 1.43% |
| 2020 | 2.54% |
| 2021 | 3.74% |
Average airport tower controller tenure
The average airport tower controller stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 44 airport tower controllers resumes in Zippia's database.
Airport tower controller tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 10% |
| 1-2 years | 48% |
| 3-4 years | 20% |
| 5-7 years | 13% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 5% |
Airport tower controller LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of airport tower controllers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Parking Attendant | 3.71% | 45,127 |
| Aircraft Cleaner | 4.91% | 39,138 |
| Feeder | 5.16% | 695 |
| Airport Tower Controller | 7.23% | - |
| Air Force Pilot | 11.74% | 3,867 |
| Bus Attendant | 15.05% | 51,391 |
| Airline Attendant | 31.52% | 44,805 |
Similar airport tower controller jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Parking Attendant | 3.71% | 45,127 |
| Aircraft Cleaner | 4.91% | 39,138 |
| Feeder | 5.16% | 695 |
| Air Force Pilot | 11.74% | 3,867 |
| Bus Attendant | 15.05% | 51,391 |
| Airline Attendant | 31.52% | 44,805 |
Foreign languages spoken by airport tower controllers
- Spanish, 100.0%
Airport tower controller languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 100.0% |