PAO
Palo Alto Tower
FAA Control Tower Palo Alto, California
Facility Information
| Facility Overview | |
|---|---|
| Identifier | PAO |
| Facility Name | Palo Alto Tower |
| Airport Name | Palo Alto |
| Type | Tower |
| Level | Level 6 |
| Core 30 Airport | No |
| Airspace & Operations | |
|---|---|
| Hours of Operation | 0700-2100 |
| Airspace Class | Class D |
| Approach/Departure | NCT |
| Overlying ARTCC | ZOA |
| Airport Diagram | Airport Diagram (PDF) |
| Location & Contact | |
|---|---|
| View on full map → | |
| Address | 1909 Embarcadero Rd Palo Alto, CA 94303 |
| Phone Number | 650-493-0641 |
Salary Information
2026 Pay for Palo Alto Tower
| Career Level | Hourly Min. | Hourly Max. | Salary Min. | Salary Max. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPC | $57.46 | $77.56 | $119,911 | $161,876 |
| D3 | $51.90 | $57.46 | $108,313 | $119,911 |
| AG | $35.23 | $35.23 | $73,521 | $73,521 |
| Includes everything except premium pay. | ||||
ATC pay has stalled over the past decade. Marangos & Brown are on a mission to increase pay.
| Pay Factors | |
|---|---|
| Facility Level | Level 6 |
| Locality Area | San Francisco |
| Locality Pay | 46.34% |
| Controller Incentive Pay (CIP) | 10.00% |
| Local Affordability | |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | 110.4 (10.4% above avg) |
| Cost-Adjusted CPC Min | $108,595 |
Staffing and Training
| Staffing Information, July 2026 | |
|---|---|
| CPCs on Board | 8 CPCs |
| CPC Target (CWP) | 11 CPCs |
| Current Staffing | 72.73% |
|
Projected Staffing
Show componentsHide components
|
100.99% |
| ↳ Est. Trainee Certifications | + 3.5 |
| ↳ Projected Retirements/Losses | - 0.4 |
|
Number of Trainees
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|
4 trainees |
| ↳ Academy Graduates | 1 |
| ↳ Developmental 3 | 3 |
| Training Information, July 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Training Time (Avg) | 1.17 years |
| ↳ New Hires | 1.25 years |
| ↳ Transfers (CPC-IT) | 0.48 years |
| Training Success Rate (Avg) | 87% |
| ↳ New Hires | 85% |
| ↳ Transfers (CPC-IT) | 90% |
| Travel Days from Academy | 4 days |
Historical Trends
PAO Staffing Percentages
PAO Personnel Counts
PAO Training Metrics
NCEPT
NCEPT manages controller-requested transfers between FAA facilities.
| Eligibility & Staffing, July 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Staffing Source | Academy Sourced |
| TSL (One Training Time) | 89.31% |
| Gaining Target | 107.50% |
| Possible Gains | 1 |
| Primary Releases Avail. | 0 |
| Secondary Releases Avail. | 0 |
| Transfer Activity | |
|---|---|
| Releases, Past 3 Yrs | 5 |
| ↳ Standard | 0 |
| ↳ Priority/Other | 5 |
| Gains, Past 3 Yrs | 0 |
| Last Standard Release | None in 3+ years |
| ERR Demand History | |
|---|---|
| Priority / Draft Order Mar 2026 |
#177 |
| Inbound ERRs on File Feb 2026 |
0 |
| Employees with Outbound ERRs Feb 2026 |
4 (40%) |
Demand Trends
NCEPT Priority
Traffic
| June 2025 - May 2026 (12 Months) | |
|---|---|
| Tower Operations | 159,787 operations/yr |
| Average Daily Operations | 438 operations/day |
| Peer Group Median (Lvl 6 Tower) |
137,881 operations/yr |
| Relative Workload | +15.9% vs peer median |