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Federal Aviation Administration salary estimate

$54,896yearly

$26.39 hourly rate

Entry-level salary
$29,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Federal Aviation Administration Salaries

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a significant employer in the aviation sector, offering diverse roles with varying salary structures. The average salary across the FAA is approximately $54,896, but this figure masks the disparity in pay across different job titles. For example, aerospace engineers can expect to earn about $106,845 per year, while positions such as security officers typically earn much less, averaging around $29,562.

Job roles like computer scientists and electronics engineers also command higher salaries, averaging $102,395 and $95,543, respectively. The differences in compensation highlight the FAA's focus on attracting skilled professionals in technical fields.

Furthermore, salaries can vary significantly by department. The engineering department has the highest average salary at $77,326, while administrative roles tend to earn around $39,108. Understanding these salary variations can help prospective employees make informed career choices when considering opportunities within the FAA.

Highest paying jobs at Federal Aviation Administration

The highest paying jobs at Federal Aviation Administration are aerospace engineer, computer scientist, electronics engineer, and private pilot. Aerospace engineer jobs at Federal Aviation Administration earn an average yearly salary of $106,845, Federal Aviation Administration computer scientist jobs average $102,395, and Federal Aviation Administration electronics engineer jobs average $95,543.

The lowest paying Federal Aviation Administration roles include security officer and member service representative. Federal Aviation Administration security officer average salary is $29,562 per year. So while the average Federal Aviation Administration salary is $54,896 there is a big variation in pay depending on the role.

Highest paying jobs at Federal Aviation Administration

RankJob titleAverage Federal Aviation Administration salaryHourly rate
1Aerospace Engineer$106,845$51.37
2Computer Scientist$102,395$49.23
3Electronics Engineer$95,543$45.93
4Private Pilot$92,692$44.56
5Project Manager$89,946$43.24
6Consultant$81,838$39.35
7Systems Specialist$81,793$39.32
8Systems Administrator$80,178$38.55
9Certified Professional Controller$77,764$37.39
10Program Management Analyst$76,470$36.76
11Legal Extern$73,085$35.14
12Network Administrator$71,394$34.32
13Administrative Officer$62,530$30.06
14Technical Writer$61,845$29.73
15Security Inspector$60,159$28.92
16Budget Analyst$59,218$28.47
17Aviation Safety Inspector$57,947$27.86
18Team Leader$56,865$27.34
19Certified Flight Instructor$54,876$26.38
20Engineering Technician$54,359$26.13

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How much does Federal Aviation Administration pay by location?

The average Federal Aviation Administration salary varies by location. Federal Aviation Administration salaries are the highest in San Diego, CA, at $62,060 per year. Federal Aviation Administration pays the second highest average salary in Washington, DC, at $61,689 per year. It's important to factor in the cost of living when negotiating a salary or choosing a place to work.

Highest paying Federal Aviation Administration locations

RankLocationAverage Federal Aviation Administration salaryHourly rate
1San Diego, CA$62,060$29.84
2Washington, DC$61,689$29.66
3New York, NY$60,655$29.16
4Atlantic City, NJ$59,424$28.57
5Burlington, MA$58,563$28.16
6Anchorage, AK$58,498$28.12
7Enfield, CT$58,406$28.08
8Warwick, RI$58,296$28.03
9Des Moines, WA$57,396$27.59
10Portland, ME$57,215$27.51
11Allentown, PA$56,580$27.20
12New Castle, DE$55,672$26.77
13Camp Springs, MD$55,270$26.57
14Merrimack, NH$54,973$26.43
15Vinton, VA$54,914$26.40
16Las Vegas, NV$54,908$26.40
17Fort Worth, TX$54,434$26.17
18Portland, OR$54,041$25.98
19Phoenix, AZ$53,982$25.95
20Belleville, MI$52,064$25.03

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Federal Aviation Administration salaries by department

Salaries at Federal Aviation Administration vary depending on the department you work in. Federal Aviation Administration salaries in the engineering department are the highest with an average salary of $77,326. Employees in the non profit/government department at Federal Aviation Administration receive relatively high salaries as well, with an average salary of $71,616 per year. Departments that don't pay as well at Federal Aviation Administration include the administrative and the sales organizational functions, with employees earning average salaries of $39,108 and $44,564, respectively.

Average Federal Aviation Administration salary by department

RankDepartmentAverage Federal Aviation Administration salaryHourly rate
1Engineering$77,326$37.18
2Non Profit/Government$71,616$34.43
3IT$68,643$33.00
4Supply Chain$66,762$32.10
5Legal$66,136$31.80
6Finance$56,528$27.18
7Education$55,167$26.52
8Accounting$54,569$26.24
9Plant/Manufacturing$54,099$26.01
10Facilities$49,368$23.73
11Human Resources$47,907$23.03
12Customer Service$44,592$21.44
13Sales$44,564$21.43
14Administrative$39,109$18.80

How much does Federal Aviation Administration pay by department?

Best paying Federal Aviation Administration finance salaries

RankPositionAverage Federal Aviation Administration salaryHourly rate
1Finance Manager$101,312$48.71
2Consultant$81,838$39.35
3Program Management Analyst$76,470$36.76
4Program Analyst$74,524$35.83
5Contracts Specialist$72,485$34.85
6Contracting Officer$70,094$33.70
7Air Traffic Supervisor$62,258$29.93
8Branch Manager$52,762$25.37
9Loan Officer$47,782$22.97
10Traffic Control Specialist$44,358$21.33
11Loan Processor$37,717$18.13
12Finance Service Representative$34,252$16.47

Best paying Federal Aviation Administration IT salaries

RankPositionAverage Federal Aviation Administration salaryHourly rate
1Technical Advisor$122,410$58.85
2Senior Network Engineer$114,818$55.20
3Senior Project Manager$112,110$53.90
4Information Technology Project Manager$106,497$51.20
5Systems Specialist$81,793$39.32
6Systems Analyst$79,206$38.08
7Network Administrator$71,394$34.32
8Computer Programmer$70,979$34.12
9Infrastructure Analyst$69,340$33.34
10Information Technology Contractor$64,193$30.86
11Program Management Assistant$47,455$22.81
12Traffic Control Specialist$44,358$21.33
13Computer Operator$41,559$19.98

Best paying Federal Aviation Administration engineering salaries

RankPositionAverage Federal Aviation Administration salaryHourly rate
1Lead Developer$119,731$57.56
2Software Architect$118,484$56.96
3Data Architect$112,376$54.03
4Senior Project Manager$112,110$53.90
5Technical Team Lead$109,190$52.50
6Aerospace Engineer$106,845$51.37
7Senior Programmer$105,080$50.52
8Computer Scientist$102,395$49.23
9Electronics Engineer$95,543$45.93
10BI Consultant$93,748$45.07
11SQL Database Administrator$86,124$41.41
12Sharepoint Administrator$85,590$41.15
13Web Developer$84,912$40.82
14Occupational Safety And Health Manager$79,268$38.11
15Project Control Analyst$78,013$37.51
16Computer Specialist$75,878$36.48
17Data Analyst$74,870$36.00
18Engineering Technician$54,359$26.13
19Mechanical Technician$47,569$22.87
20Traffic Control Specialist$44,358$21.33

Recently added Federal Aviation Administration salaries

JobLocationDate addedSalary
Airway Transportation Systems Specialist (Environmental/Power Systems Specialist)Oklahoma City, OK02/19/2025$92,964
Public Notice for Air Traffic Control Specialist-Trainee (Direct)Anchorage, AK02/19/2025$45,603
Airport Certification and Safety InspectorAnchorage, AK02/19/2025$84,275
Airway Transportation Systems Specialist (Service Operations Center)New York, NY02/19/2025$105,649
Technical Operations (AJW) Airway Transportation Systems Specialist Employee Requested ReassignmentDes Plaines, IL02/19/2025$38,560

What employees say about salary at Federal Aviation Administration

Employee reviews
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5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2024
Pros of working at Federal Aviation Administration

Large with many different roles and ways to service the safety mission for the flying public.

Cons of working at Federal Aviation Administration

Erratic political impacts to continuity of funding and resources required to sustain the National Airspace System. Continuing Resolution impact to operational success.

Federal Aviation Administration benefits

Stability, flexibility and honorable mission.

What do you like best about Federal Aviation Administration's CEO and the leadership team?

They keep trying.

How would you improve Federal Aviation Administration's culture?

Hire more qualified CEO and Executive leadership teams.

How did you prepare for the Federal Aviation Administration interview?

Research and simulation.

How does your compensation at Federal Aviation Administration compare to the industry average?

Within the Government it is among the highest but it is lower than industry.

What's the diversity at Federal Aviation Administration like?

It would slowly self-correct with improved access to aviation in the public sector though insurance companies create barriers for the economically challenged so the industry is shrinking in general. Internal leadership lacks alignment and awareness of efforts which prohibits us from adopting many change efforts that larger scale public policy is seeking to address.

What brings you the most joy at Federal Aviation Administration?

Leading people, influencing change, educating others and demonstrating what right looks like. Creating a psychological safe environment of acceptance... i.e. safety culture.

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Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Federal Aviation Administration, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Federal Aviation Administration. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Federal Aviation Administration. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Federal Aviation Administration. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Federal Aviation Administration and its employees or that of Zippia.

Federal Aviation Administration may also be known as or be related to Faa and Federal Aviation Administration.