DCA - Washington National Tower
FAA Control Tower in Washington, District of Columbia
Facility Information
| Facility Overview | |
|---|---|
| Identifier | DCA |
| Facility Name | Washington National Tower |
| Airport Name | Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl |
| Type | Tower |
| Leveli | Level 9 History |
| Core 30 Airporti | Yes |
| Airspace & Operations | |
|---|---|
| Hours of Operationi | 0000-2359 (always open) |
| Airspace Class | Class B |
| Approach/Departure | PCT |
| Overlying ARTCC | ZDC |
| Airport Diagram | View Airport Diagram (PDF) |
| Location & Contact | |
|---|---|
| Address | 1 Aviation Circle Washington, DC 20001 |
| Phone Number | 703-413-1530 |
Salary Information
2026 Pay for Washington National Tower
| Career Leveli | Hourly Min. | Hourly Max. | Salary Min. | Salary Max.i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPC | $68.05 | $91.86 | $142,016 | $191,722 |
| D3 | $58.77 | $68.05 | $122,650 | $142,016 |
| D2 | $49.49 | $58.77 | $103,276 | $122,650 |
| AG | $30.92 | $30.92 | $64,538 | $64,538 |
| Includes everything except premium pay. | ||||
| Pay Factors | |
|---|---|
| Facility Leveli | Level 9 |
| Locality Area | Washington-Baltimore |
| Locality Payi | 33.94% |
| Controller Incentive Pay (CIP)i | 3.30% |
| Local Affordability | |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living Indexi | 108.9 (8.9% above avg) |
| Cost-Adjusted CPC Mini | $130,433 |
ATC pay has stalled over the past decade. Marangos & Brown are on a mission to increase pay.
Staffing and Training
| Staffing Information, April 2026 | |
|---|---|
| CPCs on Boardi | 26 CPCs |
| 2026 TRB Targeti | 30 CPCs |
| 2026 TRB Staffingi | 87% |
| CRWG Targeti | 30 CPCs |
|
Number of Trainees
Click to view breakdown
|
8 trainees |
| ↳ Developmental 2 | 3 |
| ↳ CPC-IT 0 (Transfer) | 1 |
| ↳ CPC-IT 2 (Transfer) | 3 |
| ↳ CPC-IT 3 (Transfer) | 1 |
| Current CRWG Staffingi | 87% |
|
Projected CRWG Staffingi
Click to view components
|
106% |
| ↳ Est. Trainee Certifications | + 6.8 |
| ↳ Committed Inbounds | + 2 |
| ↳ Committed Outbounds | - 1 |
| ↳ Projected Retirements/Losses | - 1.8 |
| Training Information, April 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Training Time (Avg)i | 1.26 years |
| ↳ New Hires | 1.24 years |
| ↳ Transfers (CPC-IT) | 1.18 years |
| Training Success Rate (Avg)i | 85% |
| ↳ New Hires | 77% |
| ↳ Transfers (CPC-IT) | 89% |
| Travel Days from Academyi | 3 days |
Historical Trends
DCA Staffing Percentages
DCA Personnel Counts
DCA Training Metrics
Traffic
| April 2025 - March 2026 (12 Months) | |
|---|---|
| Tower Operations | 337,955 operations/year |
| Average Daily Operations | 926 operations/day |
Traffic History
NCEPT
| Current NCEPT Metrics | |
|---|---|
| Possible Lossesi Apr 2026 |
0 |
| Expected Staffing (12-Month)i Apr 2026 |
93.2% |
| Possible Gains to National Avgi Apr 2026 |
0 |
| Priority / Draft Orderi Mar 2026 |
#115 |
| Inbound ERRs on Filei Feb 2026 |
5 |
| Employees with Outbound ERRsi Feb 2026 |
2 (8%) |
NCEPT is the centralized system for managing controller-requested transfers between facilities. Transfer requests are only approved based upon a set of complex metrics that attempt to balance the distribution of the workforce.
Demand Trends
NCEPT Priority
Administration
| Organizational Structure | |
|---|---|
| Service Area | Eastern |
| District | Washington |
| HR Region | Eastern |