BHM - Birmingham Tower | Air Traffic Control Tower

Facility Information

Facility Overview
Identifier	BHM
Facility Name	Birmingham Tower
Airport	Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport
Type	Tower and Approach Control
Level	Level 8 Show historyHide history • Prior to Apr 2019: Level 7 • Prior to Mar 2017: Level 8
Core 30 Airport	No

Location & Contact

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Address	5900 Messer Airport Hwy Birmingham, AL 35212
Phone Number	205-769-3900

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

Career Level	Hourly Min.	Hourly Max.	Total Pay Min.	Total Pay Max.
CPC	$53.06	$71.63	$110,732	$149,489
D3	$46.45	$53.06	$96,951	$110,732
D2	$39.85	$46.45	$83,167	$96,951
AG	$26.64	$26.64	$55,603	$55,603
Total Pay combines Basic Pay, Locality Pay. It excludes premium pay for overtime, nights, Sundays, and holidays.

Local Affordability
Cost of Living Index	91.6 (8.4% below avg)
Cost-Adjusted CPC Min	$120,834

How this pay is calculated

Basic Pay (Level 8 CPC band maximum)	$126,428
+ Locality Pay (18.24% of Basic Pay for Birmingham)	+ $23,061
= Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3)	$149,489
= Total Pay	$149,489

Basic Pay (Level 8 CPC band minimum)	$93,650
+ Locality Pay (18.24% of Basic Pay for Birmingham)	+ $17,082
= Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3)	$110,732
= Total Pay	$110,732

Basic Pay (Level 8 D3 band maximum)	$93,650
+ Locality Pay (18.24% of Basic Pay for Birmingham)	+ $17,082
= Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3)	$110,732
= Total Pay	$110,732

Basic Pay (Level 8 D3 band minimum)	$81,995
+ Locality Pay (18.24% of Basic Pay for Birmingham)	+ $14,956
= Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3)	$96,951
= Total Pay	$96,951

Basic Pay (Level 8 D2 band maximum)	$81,995
+ Locality Pay (18.24% of Basic Pay for Birmingham)	+ $14,956
= Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3)	$96,951
= Total Pay	$96,951

Basic Pay (Level 8 D2 band minimum)	$70,338
+ Locality Pay (18.24% of Basic Pay for Birmingham)	+ $12,829
= Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3)	$83,167
= Total Pay	$83,167

Basic Pay (Academy Graduate band, set nationally)	$47,026
+ Locality Pay (18.24% of Basic Pay for Birmingham)	+ $8,577
= Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3)	$55,603
= Total Pay	$55,603

The AG band is a single national rate, so the top and bottom of the band are the same.

Basic Pay (Academy Graduate band, set nationally)	$47,026
+ Locality Pay (18.24% of Basic Pay for Birmingham)	+ $8,577
= Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3)	$55,603
= Total Pay	$55,603

The AG band is a single national rate, so the top and bottom of the band are the same.

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 Information, October 2026
CPCs on Board	22 CPCs
CPC Target (CWP)	22 CPCs
Current Staffing	95.45%
Projected Staffing Show componentsHide components	111.19%
↳ Est. Trainee Certifications	+ 7.6
↳ Committed Inbounds	+ 1
↳ Committed Outbounds	- 1
↳ Placement List Outbounds	- 1
↳ Projected Retirements/Losses	- 2.9
Number of Trainees Show breakdownHide breakdown	10 trainees
↳ Academy Graduates	7
↳ Developmental 3	1
↳ CPC-IT 2 (Transfer)	2

Training Information, October 2026
Training Time (Avg)	1.96 years
↳ New Hires	2.36 years
↳ Transfers (CPC-IT)	1.24 years
Training Success Rate (Avg)	76%
↳ New Hires	77%
↳ Transfers (CPC-IT)	73%
Travel Days from Academy	2 days

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

Eligibility & Staffing, October 2026
Staffing Source	Academy Sourced
TSL (One Training Time)	92.65%
Gaining Target	101.74%
Possible Gains	0
Primary Releases Avail.	0
Secondary Releases Avail.	0

ERR Demand, September 15, 2026
ERRs on File (Inbound)	7
↳ Releasable	0
Employees with ERRs (Outbound)	1
↳ As % of CPCs	4.2%
↳ Total ERRs (Outbound)	1