Air Traffic Controllers pay range in Riverside
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $44,510 a year or less, while the top 10% make $141,650 or more. The middle half of air traffic controllers in Riverside earn between $77,200 and $126,590.
- $45K10th
- $77K25th
- $94KMedian
- $127K75th
- $142K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $96,750 | $8,062 | $46.51 |
| Median | $94,140 | $7,845 | $45.26 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $77,200 | $6,433 | $37.12 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $126,590 | $10,549 | $60.86 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Air Traffic Controllers salary after taxes in Riverside
On the average salary of $96,750, a single filer in Riverside takes home about $71,988 a year, or $5,999 a month and $2,769 every two weeks. Taxes take 26% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is Riverside a good place for air traffic controllers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Riverside area are 6% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 106.4), so the average $96,750 buys what about $90,895 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Riverside ($48,400). A typical home costs $585,378, or 6.1 years of this average salary before tax.
Air Traffic Controllers salary in other California cities
Riverside ranks 4th of 4 California metro areas for this job; San Francisco pays the most ($179,320).
- San Francisco$179,320
- Sacramento$173,710
- Los Angeles$156,650
- Riverside$96,750
Highest-paying cities for air traffic controllers
San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($179,320).
- San Francisco, CA$179,320
- Philadelphia, PA$177,260
- Atlanta, GA$176,190
- Chicago, IL$174,320
- Sacramento, CA$173,710
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Air Traffic Controllers salary in Riverside: questions
How much do air traffic controllers make an hour in Riverside?
$46.52 an hour on average, and $45.26 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level air traffic controllers salary in Riverside?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $44,510 a year and the 25th percentile is $77,200, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the air traffic controllers take-home pay in Riverside?
About $71,988 a year ($5,999 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $96,750. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do air traffic controllers earn more in Riverside than elsewhere?
The average here is 38% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($156,724).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 53-2021; area Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA (40140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.1%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.56, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.56).
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