CRE
Strand Tower
Federal Contract ATC Tower North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Facility Information
| Facility Overview | |
|---|---|
| Identifier | CRE |
| Facility Name | Strand Tower |
| Airport Name | Grand Strand |
| Type | Contract Tower |
| Contractor | Robinson Aviation (RVA) |
| Site Notes | Job Share Location |
| Union | NATCA |
| Airspace & Operations | |
|---|---|
| Hours of Operation | 0700-2100 |
| Airspace Class | Class D |
| Approach/Departure | MYR |
| Overlying ARTCC | ZJX |
| Airport Diagram | Airport Diagram (PDF) |
| Location & Contact | |
|---|---|
| View on full map → | |
| City, State | North Myrtle Beach, SC |
| Cost of Living Index | 93.6 (6.4% below avg) |
Controller Pay
| Hourly | Annual | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Rate | $45.71 est. | ≈ $95,100 est. |
| Health & Welfare | + $5.92 | + $12,300 |
| Total Compensation | $51.63 | ≈ $107,400 |
| Premium Type | Amount |
|---|---|
| Overtime | + 50% |
| Sundays | + 25% |
| On-the-job training instructor | + 10% |
| Nights (6PM-6AM) | + 10% |
How this pay is calculated
$45.71 base (est.) + $5.92 health & welfare = $51.63 / hr · × 2,080 hours ≈ $107,400 / yr, before premium pay.
- Base rate — every Federal Contract Tower contract carries a US Department of Labor wage determination: a county-level minimum for tower controllers, tied to federal GS-10 locality pay. At union towers the collective bargaining agreement governs pay instead, and the newest publicly released figure is shown; est. means the published figure is carried forward using only raises documented in the agreement itself. For this tower: Published 2016 chart + 3% annual raises: documented through Jan 2021 (2017 and 2021 MOUs), assumed continued each year since under the agreement's escalation mechanic.
- Health & welfare — a required fringe paid on top of the wage (the negotiated rate where the agreement sets one, otherwise the current DOL rate), payable as benefits or cash for up to 40 hours per week.
Traffic
| August 2025 - July 2026 (12 Months) | |
|---|---|
| Tower Operations | 54,256 operations/yr |
| Average Daily Operations | 149 operations/day |