2026 pay for Potomac TRACON, built from the FAA Air Traffic Specialized Pay Plan bands:
Career Level
Hourly Min.
Hourly Max.
Total Pay Min.
Total Pay Max.
CPC
$87.30
$113.16
$182,199
$236,167
D3
$73.28
$87.30
$152,937
$182,199
D2
$59.26
$73.28
$123,680
$152,937
D1
$45.24
$59.26
$94,413
$123,680
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.
The maximum above tops the $228,000 federal pay cap because the cap only applies to Basic Pay plus Locality Pay. Differentials such as CIP are paid on top of the cap.
+ 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, September 2026
CPCs on Board
149 CPCs
CPC Target (CWP)
160 CPCs
Current Staffing
92.50%
Projected Staffing
Show componentsHide components
93.57%
↳ Est. Trainee Certifications
+ 13.9
↳ Committed Inbounds
+ 2
↳ Projected Retirements/Losses
- 13.1
Number of Trainees
Show breakdownHide breakdown
16 trainees
↳ CPC-IT 0 (Transfer)
9
↳ CPC-IT 1 (Transfer)
3
↳ CPC-IT 2 (Transfer)
1
↳ CPC-IT 3 (Transfer)
3
Training Information, September 2026
Training Time (Avg)
1.45 years
↳ New Hires
1.8 years
↳ Transfers (CPC-IT)
1.4 years
Training Success Rate (Avg)
87%
↳ New Hires
94%
↳ Transfers (CPC-IT)
86%
Travel Days from Academy
3 days
Historical Trends
PCT Staffing Percentages
PCT Personnel Counts
PCT Training Metrics
NCEPT
NCEPT manages controller-requested transfers between FAA facilities.
See PCT transfer selections on the Transfer Flow Map.