How to hire a tower operator

How to hire a tower operator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step tower operator hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a tower operator job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new tower operator
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your tower operator job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a tower operator for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect tower operator also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of tower operators.

   Type of Tower Operator	Description	Hourly rate
   Tower Operator	Material moving machine operators use machinery to transport various objects. Some operators move construction materials around building sites or excavate earth from a mine... Show more	$12-27
   Tow Truck Driver	Typically working upon the directives of dispatchers, a tow truck driver is in charge of driving to areas where a vehicle accident or breakdown took place, connecting the vehicle to the tow truck, and transporting them to repair stations or particular places. Their responsibilities include communicating with clients to identify their needs, answering inquiries, providing assistance by performing minor repairs, changing tires or jump-starting cars, and recommending solutions when necessary... Show more	$13-24
   Crane Operator	A crane operator's work involves the control of draglines or cranes to lift, move, position or place machinery, equipment, and other large objects at industrial or construction sites, ports, surface mines, railway yards, and other similar locations. Their tasks and duties include conducting crane maintenance such as lubricating and cleaning, inspecting cranes, and assembling tower cranes... Show more	$16-39

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Motor Vehicle
   • Tow Truck
   • Tire Changes
   • CIP
   • DOT
   • Roadside Assistance
   • Law Enforcement Agencies
   • Lock Outs
   • Transport Vehicles
   • Fuel Delivery
   • Emergency Road Service
   • Freeway
   • CHP
   • Hoists

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Coordinate face to face with all outside agencies that are require to support the training for all logistics matters.
   • Direct inbound or outbound logistics operations, such as transportation or warehouse activities, safety performance, or logistics quality management.
   • Supervise the accountability of all MSOT equipment, totaling millions of dollars' worth of equipment.
   • Work closely with IAD ATCT and airlines to coordinate safe and efficient gate and non-movement area transitions.

   More tower operator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your tower operator job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A tower operator can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, tower operators' average salary in kentucky is 51% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level tower operators 57% less than senior-level tower operators.
   • Certifications. A tower operator with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a tower operator's salary.

   Average tower operator salary

   $38,634yearly

   $18.57 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level tower operator salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average tower operator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$51,936	$25
   2	California	$51,841	$25
   3	California	$51,630	$25
   4	California	$51,593	$25
   5	Arizona	$42,777	$21
   6	Colorado	$39,424	$19
   7	Colorado	$39,297	$19
   8	Colorado	$39,296	$19
   9	Colorado	$39,174	$19
   10	Hawaii	$37,799	$18
   11	Hawaii	$37,787	$18
   12	Iowa	$35,411	$17
   13	Texas	$33,605	$16
   14	Nevada	$33,324	$16
   15	Florida	$33,285	$16
   16	Wisconsin	$33,183	$16
   17	Nevada	$32,584	$16
   18	Missouri	$31,863	$15
   19	Missouri	$31,830	$15
   20	Alabama	$31,720	$15

   Average tower operator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Reckitt Benckiser	$44,558	$21.42	2
   2	Canadian Pacific Railway	$41,120	$19.77
   3	Deer Valley Ranch	$38,752	$18.63
   4	Timco Aviation Services	$38,343	$18.43
   5	The Green Machine	$38,315	$18.42
   6	AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah	$36,824	$17.70
   7	Alaka`ina Foundation Family Of Companies	$36,407	$17.50	2
   8	Huntsville Hospital	$35,728	$17.18
   9	GROWMARK	$35,297	$16.97	11
   10	Bridgestone	$34,861	$16.76
   11	Alterra Mountain	$31,987	$15.38
   12	Snowbird	$30,580	$14.70
   13	Caesars Entertainment	$28,836	$13.86	2

4. Writing a tower operator job description

   A tower operator job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a tower operator job description:

   Tower operator job description example

   The Tower Operator is responsible for all air traffic control during hours of operation and on an as needed basis.
   
   * Control all traffic during hours of tower operation. Remain on call for all contract aircraft after normal operation hours.
   * Issue clearance for IFR traffic departing Lake City .
   * Work with fixed base operator (Lake City Unicom) as to arriving, departing and emergency aircraft.
   * Issue all pertinent information, such as runway in use, wind speed and direction and altimeter reading to all arriving and departing aircraft.
   * Report to Jacksonville Center down times of arriving IFR aircraft.
   * Control all ground vehicles either by radio or light gun during tower hours of operation.
   * Work with HAECO Fire Department on all arriving and departing contract aircraft and all aircraft emergencies both contract and on-contract.
   * Give estimated weather conditions when requested by pilots when reports are available.
   * Notify all FAA agencies with all pertinent information concerning emergencies.
   * Maintain log of all arriving and departing aircraft during hours of operation.
   * Keep HAECO Records Department notified with arrival and departure times of contract aircraft.
   * Work with company contracted customers and ETC dispatch offices to make sure of all arrivals and departures and information such as fuel loads and pass on all pertinent information to HAECO Maintenance to expedite handling contract aircraft.
   * Coordinate flight crew transportation to and from either Jacksonville or Gainesville .
   * File flight plans for pilots when requested.
   * Aid, abet and expedite all aircraft in a safe and orderly manner.
   
   Secondary Duties:
   
   Perform other work as instructed by the Airport Operations Manager.
   
   Accountabilities:
   
   The Tower Operator is accountable to the Aircraft Operations Manager for performing daily assignments in a timely, accurate and professional manner.
   
   Job Qualifications:
   
   Minimum:
   
   * High school diploma or equivalent.
   * Must possess Certified Tower Operator (CTO) certificate.
   * Class II medical certificate required.
   * Read, write and understand the English Language.
   
   Physical Requirements:
   
   * Must be able to bend, stoop, kneel, and stand for prolonged periods of time, climb steps, ladders and/or service stands.
   * Normal or corrected hearing and vision required.
   * Must have a valid driver's license and be able to drive company vehicles.
   
   Other details
   
   * Job Family Operations
   * Job Function Airport Ops/Fire
   * Pay Type Hourly
   
   Apply Now

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find tower operators for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any tower operators they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level tower operators with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your tower operator job on Zippia to find and recruit tower operator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting tower operators requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new tower operator

   Once you've found the tower operator candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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