SBA
Santa Barbara Tower
FAA Control Tower and Approach Control Santa Barbara, California
Facility Information
| Facility Overview | |
|---|---|
| Identifier | SBA |
| Facility Name | Santa Barbara Tower |
| Airport Name | Santa Barbara Muni |
| Type | Tower and Approach Control |
| Level | Level 7 |
| Core 30 Airport | No |
| Airspace & Operations | |
|---|---|
| Hours of Operation | 0600-2300 |
| Airspace Class | Class C |
| Overlying ARTCC | ZLA |
| Airport Diagram | Airport Diagram (PDF) |
| Location & Contact | |
|---|---|
| View on full map → | |
| Address | 10 Burns Pl Santa Barbara, CA 93117 |
| Phone Number | 805-681-0534 |
Salary Information
2026 Pay for Santa Barbara Tower
| Career Level | Hourly Min. | Hourly Max. | Salary Min. | Salary Max. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPC | $59.48 | $80.30 | $124,134 | $167,580 |
| D3 | $52.86 | $59.48 | $110,323 | $124,134 |
| D2 | $46.24 | $52.86 | $96,509 | $110,323 |
| AG | $33.00 | $33.00 | $68,879 | $68,879 |
| 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 7 |
| Locality Area | Los Angeles |
| Locality Pay | 36.47% |
| Controller Incentive Pay (CIP) | 10.00% |
| Local Affordability | |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | 108.8 (8.8% above avg) |
| Cost-Adjusted CPC Min | $114,094 |
Staffing and Training
| Staffing Information, July 2026 | |
|---|---|
| CPCs on Board | 20 CPCs |
| CPC Target (CWP) | 22 CPCs |
| Current Staffing | 90.91% |
|
Projected Staffing
Show componentsHide components
|
110.51% |
| ↳ Est. Trainee Certifications | + 7 |
| ↳ Committed Outbounds | - 1 |
| ↳ Projected Retirements/Losses | - 1.7 |
|
Number of Trainees
Show breakdownHide breakdown
|
9 trainees |
| ↳ Academy Graduates | 5 |
| ↳ Developmental 2 | 3 |
| ↳ Developmental 3 | 1 |
| Training Information, July 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Training Time (Avg) | 2.11 years |
| ↳ New Hires | 2.27 years |
| ↳ Transfers (CPC-IT) | 1.04 years |
| Training Success Rate (Avg) | 78% |
| ↳ New Hires | 72% |
| ↳ Transfers (CPC-IT) | 83% |
| Travel Days from Academy | 4 days |
Historical Trends
SBA Staffing Percentages
SBA Personnel Counts
SBA Training Metrics
NCEPT
NCEPT manages controller-requested transfers between FAA facilities.
| Eligibility & Staffing, July 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Staffing Source | Academy Sourced |
| TSL (One Training Time) | 92.33% |
| Gaining Target | 101.42% |
| Possible Gains | 0 |
| Primary Releases Avail. | 0 |
| Secondary Releases Avail. | 0 |
| Transfer Activity | |
|---|---|
| Releases, Past 3 Yrs | 6 |
| ↳ Standard | 4 |
| ↳ Priority/Other | 2 |
| Gains, Past 3 Yrs | 1 |
| Last Standard Release | 1.3 years ago |
| ERR Demand History | |
|---|---|
| Priority / Draft Order Mar 2026 |
#178 |
| Inbound ERRs on File Feb 2026 |
2 |
| Employees with Outbound ERRs Feb 2026 |
1 (5%) |
Demand Trends
NCEPT Priority
Traffic
| June 2025 - May 2026 (12 Months) | |
|---|---|
| Tower Operations | 103,761 operations/yr |
| TRACON Operations | 154,067 operations/yr |
| Total Operations | 257,828 operations/yr |
| Average Daily Operations | 706 operations/day |
| Peer Group Median (Lvl 7 Up/Down) |
206,060 operations/yr |
| Relative Workload | +25.1% vs peer median |