Traffic controller vs certified professional controller

The differences between traffic controllers and certified professional controllers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a certified professional controller has an average salary of $88,588, which is higher than the $39,099 average annual salary of a traffic controller.

The top three skills for a traffic controller include construction sites, DOT and safety regulations. The most important skills for a certified professional controller are critical path, infection prevention, and cash flow.

Traffic controller vs certified professional controller overview

	Traffic Controller	Certified Professional Controller
Yearly salary	$39,099	$88,588
Hourly rate	$18.80	$42.59
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	17,859	91,307
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	-	-

Traffic controller vs certified professional controller salary

Traffic controllers and certified professional controllers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Traffic Controller	Certified Professional Controller
Average salary	$39,099	$88,588
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $63,000	Between $55,000 And $140,000
Highest paying City	Hartford, CT	Anchorage, AK
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Siemens	Kaiser Permanente
Best paying industry	Non Profits	-

Differences between traffic controller and certified professional controller education

There are a few differences between a traffic controller and a certified professional controller in terms of educational background:

	Traffic Controller	Certified Professional Controller
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY Farmingdale	SUNY Farmingdale

Traffic controller vs certified professional controller demographics

Here are the differences between traffic controllers' and certified professional controllers' demographics:

	Traffic Controller	Certified Professional Controller
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 66.2% Female, 33.8%	Male, 69.5% Female, 30.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 7.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 5.4% White, 60.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 7.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 5.3% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between traffic controller and certified professional controller duties and responsibilities

Traffic controller example responsibilities.

Lead team providing cargo, personal property and passenger movements for DoD personnel.
Provide support for traffic control set-ups within ATSSA compliance and regulations.
Control air and grind traffic movement for private, commercial, and military aircraft in IFR and VFR conditions.
Ensure compliance with FAA, USAF, ANG and all local directives.
Register traffic controller, certify in CPR and first aid.
Direct staff training and the FAA qualification of facility personnel.

Certified professional controller example responsibilities.

Facilitate the implementation of ERP system, which increase productivity in efficiently and effectively manage the functionality of the organization.
Provide leadership and training to incoming airmen and volunteer for many USAF organizations.
Correct and update the financial reporting system and institute financial integrity throughout the organization via operational and financial oversight and controls.
Provide financial planning process oversight, interface with department managers and corporate PMO to ensure adherence with corporate goals.
Provide guidance and roll-up data for weekly, monthly, and quarterly updates via conference calls within PMO guidelines.
Interface and coordinate with internal and external customers and operations managers in updating departmental EAC.

Traffic controller vs certified professional controller skills

Common traffic controller skills

Construction Sites, 13%
DOT, 10%
Safety Regulations, 10%
Safety Procedures, 7%
Direct Traffic, 7%
TMA, 6%

Common certified professional controller skills

Critical Path, 14%
Infection Prevention, 13%
Cash Flow, 10%
WBS, 9%
Earned Value Management, 9%
Internal Controls, 7%

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Traffic Controller
Traffic Controller vs Certified Professional Controller

Updated January 8, 2025

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