Air Traffic Controller.
San Francisco.
$169,000
median salary, 32% above the national average
$122,000 to $228,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
The median Air Traffic Controller salary in San Francisco is $169,000, 32% above the national average. Entry level starts near $122,000. Experienced professionals push past $228,000. San Francisco is the epicenter of venture capital and startup innovation, consistently producing the highest tech salaries in the nation. That spread is your negotiation window. 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 San Francisco, 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 $193,360 for Air Traffic Controllers (SOC 53-2021) in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metropolitan area, based on 430 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$102,170
25th percentile
$153,230
Median
$193,360
75th percentile
$218,070
90th percentile
$225,680
Workers surveyed
430
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 San Francisco 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 $152,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$110,000
to $135,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$144,000
to $177,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$186,000
to $220,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$211,000
to $262,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $35,000 to the total package.
Base
$169,000
Equity
$19,000
Bonus
$13,000
Signing
$3,000
Estimated total: $204,000
How San Francisco compares.
San Francisco, CA
$169,000
Cost of living: 35% above average
National Average
$128,000
San Francisco is $41,000 above
Air Traffic Controller salary by city.
Salary by role in San Francisco.
What you should know.
Before you negotiate an Air Traffic Controller offer in San Francisco, understand the terrain. San Francisco is the epicenter of venture capital and startup innovation, consistently producing the highest tech salaries in the nation. The city's concentration of AI labs, SaaS companies, and fintech firms creates intense competition for talent. Despite remote work trends, SF still commands the steepest salary premiums for engineering and product roles. 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 San Francisco, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 35% above average, and employers adjust to compete.
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: california's top marginal state income tax rate is 13.3%, the highest in the U.S. San Francisco has no additional city income tax, but overall tax burden remains steep. When someone quotes you $169,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Leverage competing offers aggressively. SF employers expect candidates to shop around, and matching or beating a rival offer is standard practice here. The range for Air Traffic Controllers in San Francisco runs from $122,000 to $228,000. 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
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- A Veterinarian in San Francisco earns $168,000 (1% less)
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Common questions.
Air Traffic Controller salary in other cities.
Other salaries in San Francisco.
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 San Francisco, CA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/air-traffic-controller/san-francisco
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