2026 pay for San Francisco Tower, built from the FAA Air Traffic Specialized Pay Plan bands:
Career Level
Hourly Min.
Hourly Max.
Total Pay Min.
Total Pay Max.
CPC
$89.15
$116.95
$186,053
$244,066
D3
$75.67
$89.15
$157,916
$186,053
D2
$62.19
$75.67
$129,783
$157,916
D1
$48.71
$62.19
$101,657
$129,783
AG
$35.23
$35.23
$73,521
$73,521
Total Pay combines Basic Pay, Locality Pay, and the additions listed under Pay Factors, including this facility's 10% 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 10
Locality Area
San Francisco
Locality Pay
46.34%
Controller Incentive Pay (CIP)
10.00%
Local Affordability
Cost of Living Index
115.6 (15.6% above avg)
Cost-Adjusted CPC Min
$160,931
How this pay is calculated
Basic Pay (Level 10 CPC band maximum)
$160,656
+ Locality Pay (46.34% of Basic Pay for San Francisco)
+ $74,447
− Statutory pay cap (Basic + Locality cannot exceed $228,000)
+ Controller Incentive Pay (10% of Basic Pay, not of the locality-adjusted figure)
+ $4,703
= Total Pay
$73,521
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
23 CPCs
CPC Target (CWP)
32 CPCs
Current Staffing
71.88%
Projected Staffing
Show componentsHide components
77.93%
↳ Est. Trainee Certifications
+ 1.8
↳ Committed Inbounds
+ 4
↳ Placement List Inbounds
+ 1
↳ Projected Retirements/Losses
- 2.8
Number of Trainees
Show breakdownHide breakdown
3 trainees
↳ CPC-IT 0 (Transfer)
1
↳ CPC-IT 2 (Transfer)
2
Training Information, August 2026
Training Time (Avg)
1.39 years
↳ New Hires
1.19 years
↳ Transfers (CPC-IT)
1.39 years
Training Success Rate (Avg)
60%
↳ New Hires
75%
↳ Transfers (CPC-IT)
59%
Travel Days from Academy
4 days
Historical Trends
SFO Staffing Percentages
SFO Personnel Counts
SFO Training Metrics
NCEPT
NCEPT manages controller-requested transfers between FAA facilities.
See SFO transfer selections on the Transfer Flow Map.