SUS
Spirit Tower
FAA Air Traffic Control Tower at Spirit of St Louis Airport Chesterfield, Missouri
Facility Information
| Facility Overview | |
|---|---|
| Identifier | SUS |
| Facility Name | Spirit Tower |
| Airport | Spirit of St Louis Airport |
| Type | Tower |
| Level | Level 6
Show historyHide history
• Prior to Apr 2023: Level 5
|
| Core 30 Airport | No |
| Airspace & Operations | |
|---|---|
| Hours of Operation | 0600-2300 |
| Airspace Class | Class D |
| Approach/Departure | T75 |
| Overlying ARTCC | ZKC |
| Airport Diagram | Airport Diagram (PDF) |
| Location & Contact | |
|---|---|
| View on full map → | |
| Address | 553 Beechcraft Ave Chesterfield, MO 63005 |
| Phone Number | 314-890-7282 |
Salary Information
2026 pay for Spirit Tower, built from the FAA Air Traffic Specialized Pay Plan bands:
| Career Level | Hourly Min. | Hourly Max. | Total Pay Min. | Total Pay Max. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPC | $44.11 | $59.55 | $92,062 | $124,280 |
| D3 | $39.85 | $44.11 | $83,157 | $92,062 |
| AG | $27.05 | $27.05 | $56,445 | $56,445 |
| Total Pay combines Basic Pay, Locality Pay. It excludes premium pay for overtime, nights, Sundays, and holidays. | ||||
| Pay Factors | |
|---|---|
| Facility Level | Level 6 |
| Locality Area | St. Louis |
| Locality Pay | 20.03% |
| Local Affordability | |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | 95.1 (4.9% below avg) |
| Cost-Adjusted CPC Min | $96,816 |
How this pay is calculated
| Basic Pay (Level 6 CPC band maximum) | $103,541 |
|---|---|
| + Locality Pay (20.03% of Basic Pay for St. Louis) | + $20,739 |
| = Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3) | $124,280 |
| = Total Pay | $124,280 |
| Basic Pay (Level 6 CPC band minimum) | $76,699 |
|---|---|
| + Locality Pay (20.03% of Basic Pay for St. Louis) | + $15,363 |
| = Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3) | $92,062 |
| = Total Pay | $92,062 |
| Basic Pay (Level 6 D3 band maximum) | $76,699 |
|---|---|
| + Locality Pay (20.03% of Basic Pay for St. Louis) | + $15,363 |
| = Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3) | $92,062 |
| = Total Pay | $92,062 |
| Basic Pay (Level 6 D3 band minimum) | $69,281 |
|---|---|
| + Locality Pay (20.03% of Basic Pay for St. Louis) | + $13,876 |
| = Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3) | $83,157 |
| = Total Pay | $83,157 |
| Basic Pay (Academy Graduate band, set nationally) | $47,026 |
|---|---|
| + Locality Pay (20.03% of Basic Pay for St. Louis) | + $9,419 |
| = Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3) | $56,445 |
| = Total Pay | $56,445 |
The AG band is a single national rate, so the top and bottom of the band are the same.
| Basic Pay (Academy Graduate band, set nationally) | $47,026 |
|---|---|
| + Locality Pay (20.03% of Basic Pay for St. Louis) | + $9,419 |
| = Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3) | $56,445 |
| = Total Pay | $56,445 |
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.
ATC pay has stalled over the past decade. Marangos & Brown are on a mission to increase pay.
Staffing and Training
| Staffing Information, October 2026 | |
|---|---|
| CPCs on Board | 12 CPCs |
| CPC Target (CWP) | 10 CPCs |
| Current Staffing | 100.00% |
|
Projected Staffing
Show componentsHide components
|
101.77% |
| ↳ Est. Trainee Certifications | + 2.7 |
| ↳ Committed Outbounds | - 1 |
| ↳ Placement List Outbounds | - 1 |
| ↳ Projected Retirements/Losses | - 0.5 |
|
Number of Trainees
Show breakdownHide breakdown
|
3 trainees |
| ↳ Academy Graduates | 1 |
| ↳ Developmental 3 | 2 |
| Training Information, October 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Training Time (Avg) | 0.67 years |
| ↳ New Hires | 0.66 years |
| ↳ Transfers (CPC-IT) | 0.47 years |
| Training Success Rate (Avg) | 88% |
| ↳ New Hires | 86% |
| ↳ Transfers (CPC-IT) | 90% |
| Travel Days from Academy | 1 days |
Historical Trends
SUS Staffing Percentages
SUS Personnel Counts
SUS Training Metrics
NCEPT
NCEPT manages controller-requested transfers between FAA facilities. See SUS transfer selections on the Transfer Flow Map.
| Eligibility & Staffing, October 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Staffing Source | Academy Sourced |
| TSL (One Training Time) | 88.51% |
| Gaining Target | 108.51% |
| Possible Gains | 1 |
| Primary Releases Avail. | 0 |
| Secondary Releases Avail. | 0 |
| Transfer Activity | |
|---|---|
| Releases, Past 3 Yrs | 11 |
| ↳ Standard | 11 |
| ↳ Priority/Other | 0 |
| Gains, Past 3 Yrs | 0 |
| Last Standard Release | 0.1 years ago |
| ERR Demand, September 15, 2026 | |
|---|---|
| ERRs on File (Inbound) | 1 |
| ↳ Releasable | 1 |
| Employees with ERRs (Outbound) | 3 |
| ↳ As % of CPCs | 25.0% |
| ↳ Total ERRs (Outbound) | 17 |
ERR Demand Trends
Selections by Year, 2016–2026
Traffic
| October 2025 - September 2026 (12 Months) | |
|---|---|
| Tower Operations | 134,892 operations/yr |
| Average Daily Operations | 370 operations/day |
| Peer Group Median (Lvl 6 Tower) |
141,292 operations/yr |
| Relative Workload | -4.5% vs peer median |