PAO - Palo Alto Tower
FAA Control Tower in Palo Alto, California
Facility Information
| Facility Overview | |
|---|---|
| Identifier | PAO |
| Facility Name | Palo Alto Tower |
| Airport Name | Palo Alto |
| Type | Tower |
| Leveli | Level 6 |
| Core 30 Airporti | No |
| Airspace & Operations | |
|---|---|
| Hours of Operationi | 0700-2100 |
| Airspace Class | Class D |
| Approach/Departure | NCT |
| Overlying ARTCC | ZOA |
| Airport Diagram | View Airport Diagram (PDF) |
| Location & Contact | |
|---|---|
| Address | 1909 Embarcadero Rd Palo Alto, CA 94303 |
| Phone Number | 650-493-0641 |
Salary Information
2026 Pay for Palo Alto Tower
| Career Leveli | Hourly Min. | Hourly Max. | Salary Min. | Salary Max.i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. | ||||
| Pay Factors | |
|---|---|
| Facility Leveli | Level 6 |
| Locality Area | San Francisco |
| Locality Payi | 46.34% |
| Controller Incentive Pay (CIP)i | 10.00% |
| Local Affordability | |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living Indexi | 110.4 (10.4% above avg) |
| Cost-Adjusted CPC Mini | $108,595 |
Staffing and Training
| Staffing Information, April 2026 | |
|---|---|
| CRWG Targeti | 14 CPCs |
| CPCs on Boardi | 10 CPCs |
|
Current Number of Trainees
Click to view breakdown
|
3 trainees |
| ↳ Developmental 3 | 3 |
| Current Staffing Leveli | 64% |
|
Projected Staffing Leveli
Click to view components
|
87% |
| ↳ Est. Trainee Certifications | + 2.6 |
| ↳ Committed Inbounds | + 1 |
| ↳ Temporary Inbounds | + 1 |
| ↳ Committed Outbounds | - 1 |
| ↳ Projected Retirements/Losses | - 0.3 |
| Training Information, April 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Training Time (Avg)i | 1.17 years |
| ↳ New Hires | 1.25 years |
| ↳ Transfers (CPC-IT) | 0.48 years |
| Training Success Rate (Avg)i | 87% |
| ↳ New Hires | 85% |
| ↳ Transfers (CPC-IT) | 90% |
| Travel Days from Academyi | 4 days |
Historical Trends
PAO Staffing Percentages
PAO Personnel Counts
PAO Training Metrics
Traffic
| April 2025 - March 2026 (12 Months) | |
|---|---|
| Tower Operations | 160,555 operations/year |
| Average Daily Operations | 440 operations/day |
Traffic History
NCEPT
| Current NCEPT Metrics | |
|---|---|
| Possible Lossesi Apr 2026 |
0 |
| Expected Staffing (12-Month)i Apr 2026 |
82.9% |
| Possible Gains to National Avgi Apr 2026 |
0 |
| Priority / Draft Orderi Mar 2026 |
#177 |
| Inbound ERRs on Filei Feb 2026 |
0 |
| Employees with Outbound ERRsi Feb 2026 |
4 (40%) |
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 | Western |
| District | Oakland |
| HR Region | Western Pacific |