2026 pay for Seattle Tower, built from the FAA Air Traffic Specialized Pay Plan bands:
Career Level
Hourly Min.
Hourly Max.
Total Pay Min.
Total Pay Max.
CPC
$79.02
$106.67
$164,905
$222,621
D3
$67.07
$79.02
$139,967
$164,905
D2
$55.12
$67.07
$115,032
$139,967
D1
$43.17
$55.12
$90,103
$115,032
AG
$31.22
$31.22
$65,164
$65,164
Total Pay combines Basic Pay, Locality Pay, and the additions listed under Pay Factors, including this facility's 7% Controller Incentive Pay (how CIP works). It excludes premium pay for overtime, nights, Sundays, and holidays.
+ Controller Incentive Pay (7% of Basic Pay, not of the locality-adjusted figure)
+ $3,292
= Total Pay
$65,164
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
28 CPCs
CPC Target (CWP)
33 CPCs
Current Staffing
84.85%
Projected Staffing
Show componentsHide components
103.90%
↳ Est. Trainee Certifications
+ 6.2
↳ Committed Inbounds
+ 1
↳ Projected Retirements/Losses
- 0.8
Number of Trainees
Show breakdownHide breakdown
7 trainees
↳ CPC-IT 0 (Transfer)
4
↳ CPC-IT 1 (Transfer)
1
↳ CPC-IT 2 (Transfer)
2
Training Information, August 2026
Training Time (Avg)
0.59 years
↳ New Hires
1.19 years
↳ Transfers (CPC-IT)
0.59 years
Training Success Rate (Avg)
89%
↳ New Hires
75%
↳ Transfers (CPC-IT)
88%
Travel Days from Academy
5 days
Historical Trends
SEA Staffing Percentages
SEA Personnel Counts
SEA Training Metrics
NCEPT
NCEPT manages controller-requested transfers between FAA facilities.
See SEA transfer selections on the Transfer Flow Map.