2026 pay for Detroit TRACON, built from the FAA Air Traffic Specialized Pay Plan bands:
Career Level
Hourly Min.
Hourly Max.
Total Pay Min.
Total Pay Max.
CPC
$75.00
$101.24
$156,515
$211,294
D3
$63.65
$75.00
$132,845
$156,515
D2
$52.31
$63.65
$109,179
$132,845
D1
$40.98
$52.31
$85,519
$109,179
AG
$29.64
$29.64
$61,849
$61,849
Total Pay combines Basic Pay, Locality Pay, and the additions listed under Pay Factors, including this facility's 2.4% Controller Incentive Pay (how CIP works). It excludes premium pay for overtime, nights, Sundays, and holidays.
+ Controller Incentive Pay (2.4% of Basic Pay, not of the locality-adjusted figure)
+ $1,129
= Total Pay
$61,849
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.
How CIP works
Controller Incentive Pay is a cost-of-living differential under the NATCA contract. It comes from a fixed $30 million yearly pool that has been running out before year-end; when that happens, payments stop until the next fiscal year. It is not retirement-creditable, and at some facilities only controllers on board before a set date receive it.
ATC pay has stalled over the past decade. Marangos & Brown are on a mission to increase pay.
Staffing and Training
Staffing Information, October 2026
CPCs on Board
47 CPCs
CPC Target (CWP)
49 CPCs
Current Staffing
95.92%
Projected Staffing
Show componentsHide components
93.74%
↳ Est. Trainee Certifications
+ 7
↳ Committed Inbounds
+ 1
↳ Committed Outbounds
- 1
↳ Projected Retirements/Losses
- 7.7
Number of Trainees
Show breakdownHide breakdown
11 trainees
↳ Developmental 1
1
↳ CPC-IT 0 (Transfer)
7
↳ CPC-IT 1 (Transfer)
2
↳ CPC-IT 3 (Transfer)
1
Training Information, October 2026
Training Time (Avg)
2.72 years
↳ New Hires
1.8 years
↳ Transfers (CPC-IT)
2.77 years
Training Success Rate (Avg)
63%
↳ New Hires
76%
↳ Transfers (CPC-IT)
64%
Travel Days from Academy
3 days
Historical Trends
D21 Staffing Percentages
D21 Personnel Counts
D21 Training Metrics
NCEPT
NCEPT manages controller-requested transfers between FAA facilities.
See D21 transfer selections on the Transfer Flow Map.