2026 pay for Southern California TRACON, built from the FAA Air Traffic Specialized Pay Plan bands:
Career Level
Hourly Min.
Hourly Max.
Total Pay Min.
Total Pay Max.
CPC
$88.93
$115.54
$185,592
$241,138
D3
$74.65
$88.93
$155,785
$185,592
D2
$60.37
$74.65
$125,982
$155,785
D1
$46.08
$60.37
$96,171
$125,982
AG
$31.80
$31.80
$66,363
$66,363
Total Pay combines Basic Pay, Locality Pay, and the additions listed under Pay Factors, including this facility's 7.4% 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.
Pay Factors
Facility Level
Level 12
Locality Area
San Diego
Locality Pay
33.72%
Controller Incentive Pay (CIP)
7.40%
Local Affordability
Cost of Living Index
111.9 (11.9% above avg)
Cost-Adjusted CPC Min
$165,870
How this pay is calculated
Basic Pay (Level 12 CPC band maximum)
$177,543
+ Locality Pay (33.72% of Basic Pay for San Diego)
+ $59,868
− Statutory pay cap (Basic + Locality cannot exceed $228,000)
+ Controller Incentive Pay (7.4% of Basic Pay, not of the locality-adjusted figure)
+ $3,480
= Total Pay
$66,363
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, August 2026
CPCs on Board
191 CPCs
CPC Target (CWP)
215 CPCs
Current Staffing
86.98%
Projected Staffing
Show componentsHide components
87.80%
↳ Est. Trainee Certifications
+ 13.5
↳ Committed Inbounds
+ 5
↳ Placement List Inbounds
+ 2
↳ Temporary Inbounds
+ 4
↳ Projected Retirements/Losses
- 20.9
Number of Trainees
Show breakdownHide breakdown
18 trainees
↳ Academy Graduates
2
↳ CPC-IT 0 (Transfer)
9
↳ CPC-IT 1 (Transfer)
2
↳ CPC-IT 2 (Transfer)
5
Training Information, August 2026
Training Time (Avg)
1.76 years
↳ New Hires
2 years
↳ Transfers (CPC-IT)
1.73 years
Training Success Rate (Avg)
75%
↳ New Hires
94%
↳ Transfers (CPC-IT)
73%
Travel Days from Academy
3 days
Historical Trends
SCT Staffing Percentages
SCT Personnel Counts
SCT Training Metrics
NCEPT
NCEPT manages controller-requested transfers between FAA facilities.
See SCT transfer selections on the Transfer Flow Map.