CHS
Charleston Tower
FAA Control Tower and Approach Control Charleston, South Carolina
Facility Information
| Facility Overview | |
|---|---|
| Identifier | CHS |
| Facility Name | Charleston Tower |
| Airport Name | Charleston AFB/Intl |
| Type | Tower and Approach Control |
| Level | Level 8 |
| Core 30 Airport | No |
| Airspace & Operations | |
|---|---|
| Hours of Operation | 0000-2359 (always open) |
| Airspace Class | Class C |
| Overlying ARTCC | ZJX |
| Airport Diagram | Airport Diagram (PDF) |
| Location & Contact | |
|---|---|
| View on full map → | |
| Address | 5775 S Aviation Ave Charleston, SC 29406 |
| Phone Number | 843-414-2800 |
Salary Information
2026 Pay for Charleston Tower
| Career Level | Hourly Min. | Hourly Max. | Salary Min. | Salary Max. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPC | $52.53 | $70.91 | $109,627 | $147,997 |
| D3 | $45.99 | $52.53 | $95,983 | $109,627 |
| D2 | $39.45 | $45.99 | $82,337 | $95,983 |
| AG | $26.38 | $26.38 | $55,049 | $55,049 |
| Includes everything except premium pay. | ||||
ATC pay has stalled over the past decade. Marangos & Brown are on a mission to increase pay.
| Pay Factors | |
|---|---|
| Facility Level | Level 8 |
| Locality Area | Rest of U.S. |
| Locality Pay | 17.06% |
| Local Affordability | |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | 101.0 (1.0% above avg) |
| Cost-Adjusted CPC Min | $108,585 |
Staffing and Training
| Staffing Information, July 2026 | |
|---|---|
| CPCs on Board | 17 CPCs |
| CPC Target (CWP) | 23 CPCs |
| Current Staffing | 73.91% |
|
Projected Staffing
Show componentsHide components
|
128.77% |
| ↳ Est. Trainee Certifications | + 12.5 |
| ↳ Committed Inbounds | + 2 |
| ↳ Projected Retirements/Losses | - 1.4 |
|
Number of Trainees
Show breakdownHide breakdown
|
17 trainees |
| ↳ Academy Graduates | 9 |
| ↳ Developmental 2 | 4 |
| ↳ Developmental 3 | 3 |
| ↳ CPC-IT 0 (Transfer) | 1 |
| Training Information, July 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Training Time (Avg) | 1.88 years |
| ↳ New Hires | 2.14 years |
| ↳ Transfers (CPC-IT) | 1.42 years |
| Training Success Rate (Avg) | 74% |
| ↳ New Hires | 73% |
| ↳ Transfers (CPC-IT) | 75% |
| Travel Days from Academy | 3 days |
Historical Trends
CHS Staffing Percentages
CHS Personnel Counts
CHS Training Metrics
NCEPT
NCEPT manages controller-requested transfers between FAA facilities.
| Eligibility & Staffing, July 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Staffing Source | Academy Sourced |
| TSL (One Training Time) | 91.59% |
| Gaining Target | 100.29% |
| Possible Gains | 0 |
| Primary Releases Avail. | 0 |
| Secondary Releases Avail. | 0 |
| Transfer Activity | |
|---|---|
| Releases, Past 3 Yrs | 2 |
| ↳ Standard | 1 |
| ↳ Priority/Other | 1 |
| Gains, Past 3 Yrs | 4 |
| Last Standard Release | 2.6 years ago |
| ERR Demand History | |
|---|---|
| Priority / Draft Order Mar 2026 |
#229 |
| Inbound ERRs on File Feb 2026 |
5 |
| Employees with Outbound ERRs Feb 2026 |
0 (0%) |
Demand Trends
NCEPT Priority
Traffic
| June 2025 - May 2026 (12 Months) | |
|---|---|
| Tower Operations | 135,433 operations/yr |
| TRACON Operations | 201,690 operations/yr |
| Total Operations | 337,123 operations/yr |
| Average Daily Operations | 924 operations/day |
| Peer Group Median (Lvl 8 Up/Down) |
333,797 operations/yr |
| Relative Workload | +1.0% vs peer median |