PMD
Palmdale Tower
Federal Contract ATC Tower Palmdale, California
Facility Information
| Facility Overview | |
|---|---|
| Identifier | PMD |
| Facility Name | Palmdale Tower |
| Airport Name | Palmdale USAF Plant 42 |
| Type | Contract Tower |
| Contractor | Robinson Aviation (RVA) |
| Union | NATCA |
| Airspace & Operations | |
|---|---|
| Hours of Operation | OPR 1330-0600Z++. |
| Airspace Class | Class D |
| Approach/Departure | JCF |
| Overlying ARTCC | ZLA |
| Airport Diagram | Airport Diagram (PDF) |
| Location & Contact | |
|---|---|
| View on full map → | |
| City, State | Palmdale, CA |
| Cost of Living Index | 113.6 (13.6% above avg) |
Controller Pay
| Hourly | Annual | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Rate (floor) | $41.19 | ≈ $85,700 |
| Health & Welfare | + $5.92 | + $12,300 |
| Total Compensation | $47.11 | ≈ $98,000 |
| Premium Type | Amount |
|---|---|
| Overtime | + 50% |
| Sundays | + 25% |
| On-the-job training instructor | + 10% |
| Nights (6PM-6AM) | + 10% |
How this pay is calculated
$41.19 base + $5.92 health & welfare = $47.11 / hr · × 2,080 hours ≈ $98,000 / yr, before premium pay.
- Base rate — every Federal Contract Tower contract carries a US Department of Labor wage determination: a county-level minimum for tower controllers, tied to federal GS-10 locality pay. At union towers the collective bargaining agreement governs pay instead, and the newest publicly released figure is shown; est. means the published figure is carried forward using only raises documented in the agreement itself.
- Health & welfare — a required fringe paid on top of the wage (the negotiated rate where the agreement sets one, otherwise the current DOL rate), payable as benefits or cash for up to 40 hours per week.
Traffic
| August 2025 - July 2026 (12 Months) | |
|---|---|
| Tower Operations | 24,910 operations/yr |
| Average Daily Operations | 68 operations/day |