Air Traffic Controllers pay range in San Francisco
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $102,170 a year or less, while the top 10% make $225,680 or more. The middle half of air traffic controllers in San Francisco earn between $153,230 and $218,070.
- $102K10th
- $153K25th
- $193KMedian
- $218K75th
- $226K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $179,320 | $14,943 | $86.21 |
| Median | $193,360 | $16,113 | $92.96 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $153,230 | $12,769 | $73.67 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $218,070 | $18,172 | $104.84 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Air Traffic Controllers salary after taxes in San Francisco
On the average salary of $179,320, a single filer in San Francisco takes home about $121,246 a year, or $10,104 a month and $4,663 every two weeks. Taxes take 32% 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 San Francisco a good place for air traffic controllers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the San Francisco area are 16% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 115.6), so the average $179,320 buys what about $155,104 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.6 times the median wage of all jobs in San Francisco ($74,260). A typical home costs $1,149,215, or 6.4 years of this average salary before tax.
Air Traffic Controllers salary in other California cities
San Francisco ranks 1st of 4 California metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- 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 San Francisco: questions
How much do air traffic controllers make an hour in San Francisco?
$86.21 an hour on average, and $92.96 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level air traffic controllers salary in San Francisco?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $102,170 a year and the 25th percentile is $153,230, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the air traffic controllers take-home pay in San Francisco?
About $121,246 a year ($10,104 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $179,320. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do air traffic controllers earn more in San Francisco than elsewhere?
The average here is 14% more 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA (41860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.8%.
- 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 1.24, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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