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RFD

Rockford Tower

FAA Control Tower and Approach Control Rockford, Illinois

Facility Information

Facility Overview
Identifier RFD
Facility Name Rockford Tower
Airport Name Chicago/Rockford Intl
Type Tower and Approach Control
Level Level 6
Core 30 Airport No
Airspace & Operations
Hours of Operation 0000-2359 (always open)
Airspace Class Class D
Overlying ARTCC ZAU
Airport Diagram Airport Diagram (PDF)
Location & Contact
View on full map →
Address 5701 Falcon Rd
Rockford, IL 61109
Phone Number 815-484-5312

Salary Information

2026 Pay for Rockford Tower

Career Level Hourly Min. Hourly Max. Salary Min. Salary Max.
CPC $48.09 $64.92 $100,368 $135,493
D3 $43.44 $48.09 $90,661 $100,368
D2 $38.79 $43.44 $80,950 $90,661
AG $29.49 $29.49 $61,538 $61,538
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 Chicago
Locality Pay 30.86%
Local Affordability
Cost of Living Index 92.2 (7.8% below avg)
Cost-Adjusted CPC Min $108,918

Staffing and Training

Staffing Information, July 2026
CPCs on Board 23 CPCs
CPC Target (CWP) 22 CPCs
Current Staffing 104.55%
↳ Est. Trainee Certifications+ 7
↳ Projected Retirements/Losses- 0.7
↳ Academy Graduates5
↳ Developmental 21
↳ CPC-IT 0 (Transfer)1
Training Information, July 2026
Training Time (Avg) 0.99 years
↳ New Hires 1.4 years
↳ Transfers (CPC-IT) 0.32 years
Training Success Rate (Avg) 100%
↳ New Hires 100%
↳ Transfers (CPC-IT) 100%
Travel Days from Academy 2 days

Historical Trends

RFD Staffing Percentages

RFD Personnel Counts

RFD Training Metrics

NCEPT

NCEPT manages controller-requested transfers between FAA facilities.

Eligibility & Staffing, July 2026
Staffing Source Academy Sourced
TSL (One Training Time) 88.74%
Gaining Target 97.83%
Possible Gains 0
Primary Releases Avail. 3
Secondary Releases Avail. 0
Transfer Activity
Releases, Past 3 Yrs 1
↳ Standard 1
↳ Priority/Other 0
Gains, Past 3 Yrs 1
Last Standard Release 1.3 years ago
ERR Demand History
Priority / Draft Order
Mar 2026
#165
Inbound ERRs on File
Feb 2026
1
Employees with Outbound ERRs
Feb 2026
0 (0%)

Demand Trends

NCEPT Priority

Traffic

June 2025 - May 2026 (12 Months)
Tower Operations 47,911 operations/yr
TRACON Operations 149,260 operations/yr
Total Operations 197,171 operations/yr
Average Daily Operations 540 operations/day
Peer Group Median
(Lvl 6 Up/Down)
148,944 operations/yr
Relative Workload +32.4% vs peer median

Traffic History

Administration

Organizational Structure
Service Area Central
District Chicago
HR Region Great Lakes

Nearest Facilities

JVL Janesville Tower FCT 29 mi
C90 Chicago TRACON FAA 43 mi
ARR Aurora Tower FAA 43 mi
DPA Dupage Tower FAA 48 mi
ZAU Chicago ARTCC FAA 49 mi
PWK Palwaukee Tower FAA 62 mi
ORD Chicago O'Hare Tower FAA 63 mi
UGN Waukegan Tower FCT 65 mi
LOT Lewis Tower FCT 66 mi
ENW Kenosha Tower FCT 66 mi