2026 pay for Dulles Tower, built from the FAA Air Traffic Specialized Pay Plan bands:
Career Level
Hourly Min.
Hourly Max.
Total Pay Min.
Total Pay Max.
CPC
$79.00
$106.65
$164,869
$222,572
D3
$67.05
$79.00
$139,936
$164,869
D2
$55.11
$67.05
$115,008
$139,936
D1
$43.16
$55.11
$90,083
$115,008
AG
$31.22
$31.22
$65,149
$65,149
Total Pay combines Basic Pay, Locality Pay, and the additions listed under Pay Factors, including this facility's 4.6% Controller Incentive Pay (how CIP works). It excludes premium pay for overtime, nights, Sundays, and holidays.
Pay Factors
Facility Level
Level 10
Locality Area
Washington-Baltimore
Locality Pay
33.94%
Controller Incentive Pay (CIP)
4.60%
Local Affordability
Cost of Living Index
108.9 (8.9% above avg)
Cost-Adjusted CPC Min
$151,423
How this pay is calculated
Basic Pay (Level 10 CPC band maximum)
$160,656
+ Locality Pay (33.94% of Basic Pay for Washington-Baltimore)
+ Controller Incentive Pay (4.6% of Basic Pay, not of the locality-adjusted figure)
+ $2,163
= Total Pay
$65,149
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
27 CPCs
CPC Target (CWP)
30 CPCs
Current Staffing
86.67%
Projected Staffing
Show componentsHide components
98.86%
↳ Est. Trainee Certifications
+ 4.3
↳ Committed Inbounds
+ 1
↳ Temporary Inbounds
+ 1
↳ Projected Retirements/Losses
- 2.4
Number of Trainees
Show breakdownHide breakdown
6 trainees
↳ CPC-IT 0 (Transfer)
3
↳ CPC-IT 2 (Transfer)
3
Training Information, October 2026
Training Time (Avg)
1.46 years
↳ New Hires
1.19 years
↳ Transfers (CPC-IT)
1.4 years
Training Success Rate (Avg)
72%
↳ New Hires
75%
↳ Transfers (CPC-IT)
73%
Travel Days from Academy
3 days
Historical Trends
IAD Staffing Percentages
IAD Personnel Counts
IAD Training Metrics
NCEPT
NCEPT manages controller-requested transfers between FAA facilities.
See IAD transfer selections on the Transfer Flow Map.