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BFL

Bakersfield Tower

FAA Control Tower and Approach Control Bakersfield, California

Facility Information

Facility Overview
Identifier BFL
Facility Name Bakersfield Tower
Airport Name Meadows Fld
Type Tower and Approach Control
Level Level 6
• Prior to Jun 2016: Level 7
Core 30 Airport No
Airspace & Operations
Hours of Operation 0600-2300
Airspace Class Class D
Overlying ARTCC ZLA
Airport Diagram Airport Diagram (PDF)
Location & Contact
View on full map →
Address 1547 Boughton Dr
Bakersfield, CA 93308
Phone Number 661-399-3531

Salary Information

2026 pay for Bakersfield Tower, built from the FAA Air Traffic Specialized Pay Plan bands:

Career Level Hourly Min. Hourly Max. Total Pay Min. Total Pay Max.
CPC $50.15 $67.71 $104,671 $141,302
D3 $45.30 $50.15 $94,547 $104,671
D2 $40.45 $45.30 $84,421 $94,547
AG $30.75 $30.75 $64,176 $64,176
Total Pay combines Basic Pay, Locality Pay. It excludes premium pay for overtime, nights, Sundays, and holidays.
Pay Factors
Facility Level Level 6
Locality Area Los Angeles
Locality Pay 36.47%
Local Affordability
Cost of Living Index 100.9 (0.9% above avg)
Cost-Adjusted CPC Min $103,748
How this pay is calculated
Basic Pay (Level 6 CPC band minimum) $76,699
+ Locality Pay (36.47% of Basic Pay for Los Angeles) + $27,972
= Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3) $104,671
= Total Pay $104,671

Amounts are rounded to the nearest dollar, so lines can differ from the total by a dollar or two.

ATC pay has stalled over the past decade. Marangos & Brown are on a mission to increase pay.

Staffing and Training

Staffing Information, August 2026
CPCs on Board 15 CPCs
CPC Target (CWP) 17 CPCs
Current Staffing 88.24%
↳ Est. Trainee Certifications+ 3.5
↳ Projected Retirements/Losses- 1.2
↳ Academy Graduates2
↳ Developmental 21
↳ Developmental 31
Training Information, August 2026
Training Time (Avg) 1.61 years
↳ New Hires 1.63 years
↳ Transfers (CPC-IT) 0.75 years
Training Success Rate (Avg) 88%
↳ New Hires 88%
↳ Transfers (CPC-IT) 84%
Travel Days from Academy 3 days

Historical Trends

BFL Staffing Percentages

BFL Personnel Counts

BFL Training Metrics

NCEPT

NCEPT manages controller-requested transfers between FAA facilities. See BFL transfer selections on the Transfer Flow Map.

Eligibility & Staffing, August 2026
Staffing Source Academy Sourced
TSL (One Training Time) 90.99%
Gaining Target 102.76%
Possible Gains 2
Primary Releases Avail. 0
Secondary Releases Avail. 0
Transfer Activity
Releases, Past 3 Yrs 4
↳ Standard 2
↳ Priority/Other 2
Gains, Past 3 Yrs 0
Last Standard Release 1.9 years ago

Selections, 2016–2026

Gained 0
Released 8
Net -8
Top Destinations LAX (2), ZOA (2), ABQ (1), LGB (1), SCT (1)

Selections by Year, 2016–2026

Demand Trends

NCEPT Priority

Traffic

July 2025 - June 2026 (12 Months)
Tower Operations 105,290 operations/yr
TRACON Operations 99,617 operations/yr
Total Operations 204,907 operations/yr
Average Daily Operations 561 operations/day
Peer Group Median
(Lvl 6 Up/Down)
149,241 operations/yr
Relative Workload +37.3% vs peer median

Traffic History

Administration

Organizational Structure
Service Area Western
District Los Angeles
HR Region Western Pacific

Nearest Facilities

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PMD Palmdale Tower FCT 78 mi
NID China Lake Tower DoD 79 mi
ZLA Los Angeles ARTCC FAA 80 mi
NLC Lemoore NAS (Reeves Fld) DoD 80 mi
SBA Santa Barbara Tower FAA 83 mi
CMA Camarillo Tower FAA 84 mi
OXR Oxnard Tower FCT 86 mi