RCA
Ellsworth AFB
Air Force ATCT-RAPCON Rapid City, South Dakota
Facility Information
| Facility Overview | |
|---|---|
| Identifier | RCA |
| Facility Name | Ellsworth AFB |
| Type | ATCT-RAPCON |
| Military Branch | Air Force |
| Tower Operated By | U.S. Air Force (28th OSS) Military & DoD civilian controllers |
| Airspace & Operations | |
|---|---|
| Hours of Operation | 1400-0730Z++ MON-THU, 1400-0100Z++ FRI, CLSD SAT, SUN, GLOBAL STRIKE COMD DOWN DAYS, & HOL. |
| Airspace Class | Class D |
| Overlying ARTCC | ZDV |
| Airport Diagram | Airport Diagram (PDF) |
| Location & Contact | |
|---|---|
| View on full map → | |
| Location | Rapid City, SD |
| Cost of Living Index | 89.2 (10.8% below avg) |
Controller Pay
| DoD Civilian Pay (GS-2152) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 10 |
| GS-9 | $73,818 | $95,969 |
| GS-10 hired here | $81,290 | $105,671 |
| GS-11 hired here | $89,313 | $116,113 |
| GS-12 hired here | $107,048 | $139,166 |
| GS-13 | $127,295 | $165,486 |
Official federal pay rates for this location (OPM, January 2026). New hires usually start at the lower grades. Rates are for radar-rated jobs; controllers hired for tower duties only earn about 4% less at the same grade.
| Military Controller Pay | ||
|---|---|---|
| Grade | Years of Service | Monthly Basic Pay |
| E-3 | over 2 yrs | $3,015 |
| E-4 | over 3 yrs | $3,482 |
| E-5 | over 6 yrs | $4,110 |
| E-6 | over 10 yrs | $4,760 |
| E-7 | over 14 yrs | $5,835 |
Plus tax-free housing and food allowances; some ATC assignments add $75–$450/mo special duty pay.