CMI - Champaign Tower | Air Traffic Control Tower

Facility Information

Facility Overview
Identifier	CMI
Facility Name	Champaign Tower
Airport	University of Illinois-Willard Airport
Type	Tower and Approach Control
Level	Level 6 Show historyHide history • Prior to Jan 2025: Level 5 • Prior to Aug 2016: Level 6
Core 30 Airport	No

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

Career Level	Hourly Min.	Hourly Max.	Total Pay Min.	Total Pay Max.
CPC	$43.02	$58.08	$89,784	$121,205
D3	$38.86	$43.02	$81,100	$89,784
D2	$34.70	$38.86	$72,414	$81,100
AG	$26.38	$26.38	$55,049	$55,049
Total Pay combines Basic Pay, Locality Pay. It excludes premium pay for overtime, nights, Sundays, and holidays.

Local Affordability
Cost of Living Index	92.7 (7.3% below avg)
Cost-Adjusted CPC Min	$96,854

How this pay is calculated

Basic Pay (Level 6 CPC band maximum)	$103,541
+ Locality Pay (17.06% of Basic Pay for Rest of U.S.)	+ $17,664
= Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3)	$121,205
= Total Pay	$121,205

Basic Pay (Level 6 CPC band minimum)	$76,699
+ Locality Pay (17.06% of Basic Pay for Rest of U.S.)	+ $13,085
= Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3)	$89,784
= Total Pay	$89,784

Basic Pay (Level 6 D3 band maximum)	$76,699
+ Locality Pay (17.06% of Basic Pay for Rest of U.S.)	+ $13,085
= Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3)	$89,784
= Total Pay	$89,784

Basic Pay (Level 6 D3 band minimum)	$69,281
+ Locality Pay (17.06% of Basic Pay for Rest of U.S.)	+ $11,819
= Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3)	$81,100
= Total Pay	$81,100

Basic Pay (Level 6 D2 band maximum)	$69,281
+ Locality Pay (17.06% of Basic Pay for Rest of U.S.)	+ $11,819
= Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3)	$81,100
= Total Pay	$81,100

Basic Pay (Level 6 D2 band minimum)	$61,860
+ Locality Pay (17.06% of Basic Pay for Rest of U.S.)	+ $10,554
= Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3)	$72,414
= Total Pay	$72,414

Basic Pay (Academy Graduate band, set nationally)	$47,026
+ Locality Pay (17.06% of Basic Pay for Rest of U.S.)	+ $8,023
= Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3)	$55,049
= Total Pay	$55,049

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 (17.06% of Basic Pay for Rest of U.S.)	+ $8,023
= Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3)	$55,049
= Total Pay	$55,049

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, November 2026
CPCs on Board	14 CPCs
CPC Target (CWP)	15 CPCs
Current Staffing	93.33%
Projected Staffing Show componentsHide components	103.61%
↳ Est. Trainee Certifications	+ 1.6
↳ Committed Inbounds	+ 2
↳ Projected Retirements/Losses	- 1.6
Number of Trainees Show breakdownHide breakdown	2 trainees
↳ Developmental 2	2

Training Information, November 2026
Training Time (Avg)	1.54 years
↳ New Hires	1.72 years
↳ Transfers (CPC-IT)	0.71 years
Training Success Rate (Avg)	79%
↳ New Hires	81%
↳ Transfers (CPC-IT)	84%
Travel Days from Academy	2 days

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

Eligibility & Staffing, November 2026
Staffing Source	Academy Sourced
TSL (One Training Time)	91.57%
Gaining Target	104.90%
Possible Gains	1
Primary Releases Avail.	1
Secondary Releases Avail.	0

ERR Demand, October 14, 2026
ERRs on File (Inbound)	0
↳ Releasable	0
Employees with ERRs (Outbound)	4
↳ As % of CPCs	28.6%
↳ Total ERRs (Outbound)	23