2026 pay for Fairbanks Tower, built from the FAA Air Traffic Specialized Pay Plan bands:
Career Level
Hourly Min.
Hourly Max.
Total Pay Min.
Total Pay Max.
CPC
$57.60
$77.76
$120,219
$162,294
D3
$51.19
$57.60
$106,843
$120,219
D2
$44.78
$51.19
$93,465
$106,843
AG
$31.96
$31.96
$66,706
$66,706
Total Pay combines Basic Pay, Locality Pay, and the additions listed under Pay Factors, including this facility's 8% Controller Incentive Pay (how CIP works). It excludes premium pay for overtime, nights, Sundays, and holidays.
+ Controller Incentive Pay (8% of Basic Pay, not of the locality-adjusted figure)
+ $3,762
+ COLA (1.49% of Basic Pay, tax-free)
+ $701
= Total Pay
$66,706
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, August 2026
CPCs on Board
16 CPCs
CPC Target (CWP)
22 CPCs
Current Staffing
72.73%
Projected Staffing
Show componentsHide components
77.55%
↳ Est. Trainee Certifications
+ 2.3
↳ Committed Inbounds
+ 1
↳ Projected Retirements/Losses
- 1.7
Number of Trainees
Show breakdownHide breakdown
5 trainees
↳ Academy Graduates
5
Training Information, August 2026
Training Time (Avg)
1.85 years
↳ New Hires
1.85 years
↳ Transfers (CPC-IT)
1.04 years
Training Success Rate (Avg)
46%
↳ New Hires
47%
↳ Transfers (CPC-IT)
83%
Travel Days from Academy
9 days
Historical Trends
FAI Staffing Percentages
FAI Personnel Counts
FAI Training Metrics
NCEPT
NCEPT manages controller-requested transfers between FAA facilities.
See FAI transfer selections on the Transfer Flow Map.