SMO - Santa Monica Tower
FAA Control Tower in Santa Monica, California
Facility Information
| Facility Overview | |
|---|---|
| Identifier | SMO |
| Name | Santa Monica Tower |
| Type | Tower |
| Leveli | Level 5 History |
| Core 30 Airporti | No |
| Airspace & Operations | |
|---|---|
| Hours of Operationi | 0700-2100 |
| Airspace Class | Class D |
| Approach/Departure | SCT |
| Overlying ARTCC | ZLA |
| Airport Diagram | View Airport Diagram (PDF) |
| Location & Contact | |
|---|---|
| Address | 3300 Donald Douglas Loop N Santa Monica, CA 90405 |
| Phone Number | 310-398-1525 |
Salary Information
2026 Pay for Santa Monica Tower
| Career Leveli | Hourly Min. | Hourly Max. | Salary Min. | Salary Max.i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPC | $48.71 | $65.76 | $101,662 | $137,242 |
| D3 | $44.78 | $48.71 | $93,465 | $101,662 |
| AG | $33.00 | $33.00 | $68,879 | $68,879 |
| Includes everything except premium pay. | ||||
| Pay Factors | |
|---|---|
| Facility Leveli | Level 5 |
| Locality Area | Los Angeles |
| Locality Payi | 36.47% |
| Controller Incentive Pay (CIP)i | 10.00% |
| Local Affordability | |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living Indexi | 113.6 (13.6% above avg) |
| Cost-Adjusted CPC Mini | $89,515 |
Staffing and Training
| Staffing Information, April 2026 | |
|---|---|
| CRWG Targeti | 16 CPCs |
| CPCs on Boardi | 14 CPCs |
|
Current Number of Trainees
Click to view breakdown
|
4 trainees |
| ↳ Academy Graduates | 2 |
| ↳ Developmental 3 | 1 |
| ↳ CPC-IT 3 (Transfer) | 1 |
| Current Staffing Leveli | 88% |
|
Projected Staffing Leveli
Click to view components
|
87% |
| ↳ Est. Trainee Certifications | + 3.3 |
| ↳ Committed Outbounds | - 2 |
| ↳ Placement List Outbounds | - 1 |
| ↳ Projected Retirements/Losses | - 0.4 |
| Training Information, April 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Training Time (Avg)i | 1.03 years |
| ↳ New Hires | 1.16 years |
| ↳ Transfers (CPC-IT) | 0.38 years |
| Training Success Rate (Avg)i | 82% |
| ↳ New Hires | 83% |
| ↳ Transfers (CPC-IT) | 89% |
| Travel Days from Academyi | 3 days |
Historical Trends
SMO Staffing Percentages
SMO Personnel Counts
SMO Training Metrics
Traffic
| April 2025 - March 2026 (12 Months) | |
|---|---|
| Tower Operations | 97,334 operations/year |
| Average Daily Operations | 267 operations/day |
Traffic History
NCEPT
| Current NCEPT Metrics | |
|---|---|
| Possible Lossesi Apr 2026 |
0 |
| Expected Staffing (12-Month)i Apr 2026 |
84% |
| Possible Gains to National Avgi Apr 2026 |
1 |
| Priority / Draft Orderi Mar 2026 |
#195 |
| Inbound ERRs on Filei Feb 2026 |
0 |
| Employees with Outbound ERRsi Feb 2026 |
8 (57.1%) |
NCEPT is the centralized system for managing controller-requested transfers between facilities. Transfer requests are only approved based upon a set of complex metrics that attempt to balance the distribution of the workforce.
Demand Trends
NCEPT Priority
Administration
| Organizational Structure | |
|---|---|
| Service Area | Western |
| District | Los Angeles |
| HR Region | Western Pacific |