Air Traffic Controller.
Kansas City.
$115,000
median salary, 10% below the national average
$83,000 to $155,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Air Traffic Controller pay in Kansas City ranges from $83,000 to $155,000 in 2026. The median is $115,000, 10% below the national average. Kansas City straddles Missouri and Kansas, creating a unique dual state job market with strong logistics, tech, and agriculture technology sectors. Every dollar in that range is negotiable if you come prepared. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Air Traffic Controller in Kansas City, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $161,700 for Air Traffic Controllers (SOC 53-2021) in the Kansas City, MO-KS metropolitan area, based on 430 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$85,800
25th percentile
$126,480
Median
$161,700
75th percentile
$181,330
90th percentile
$199,160
Workers surveyed
430
Why this differs from the estimate above. The Orbyt estimate of $115,000 is 29% lower than this published figure. That is usually not an error in either number: BLS reports by occupation code, and Air Traffic Controllers covers a different population than the Air Traffic Controller title as it is typically advertised. Both are shown, unreconciled, so you can judge which one describes the job you mean.
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Air Traffic Controllers (SOC 53-2021) rather than Air Traffic Controller specifically. The Kansas City range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 53-2021Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $103,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$75,000
to $92,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$98,000
to $121,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$127,000
to $150,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$144,000
to $178,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $24,000 to the total package.
Base
$115,000
Equity
$13,000
Bonus
$9,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $139,000
How Kansas City compares.
Kansas City, MO
$115,000
Cost of living: 7% below average
National Average
$128,000
Kansas City is $13,000 below
Air Traffic Controller salary by city.
Salary by role in Kansas City.
What you should know.
If you are interviewing for Air Traffic Controller roles in Kansas City, here is what you are walking into. Kansas City straddles Missouri and Kansas, creating a unique dual state job market with strong logistics, tech, and agriculture technology sectors. The metro's central location has made it a hub for distribution centers and supply chain companies. Cerner's healthcare IT presence and a growing startup scene have boosted demand for technology professionals. Facility level is the dominant factor, with controllers at high-traffic terminals and en-route centers earning significantly more than those at smaller towers. Geographic locality pay adjustments and overtime availability also create meaningful variance across positions.
Trainees at the FAA Academy earn $40,000 to $55,000. Certified professional controllers at lower-level facilities make $92,000 to $110,000. Moving to a high-level facility pushes pay to $140,000 to $172,000, with supervisory roles reaching $180,000 or more. In Kansas City, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Federal controllers receive FERS retirement, Thrift Savings Plan matching up to 5%, and locality-adjusted pay. Premium pay for night shifts, holidays, and overtime can add 10 to 25% above base salary. And on the tax side: missouri's top income tax rate is about 4.8%, and Kansas City adds a 1% earnings tax. Workers living in Kansas face that state's rates instead. Choose your side of the state line carefully. When someone quotes you $115,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Negotiate which side of the state line you will be based on. Your tax situation differs meaningfully between Missouri and Kansas, and some employers offer flexibility on office location. The range for Air Traffic Controllers in Kansas City runs from $83,000 to $155,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A Chemical Engineer in Kansas City earns $116,000 (1% more)
- The highest-paying role in Kansas City is CTO at $282,000
Common questions.
Air Traffic Controller salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Kansas City.
Related salary pages
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Air Traffic Controller Salary in Kansas City, MO." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/air-traffic-controller/kansas-city
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