ZAB
Albuquerque ARTCC
FAA En Route Air Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) Albuquerque, New Mexico
Facility Information
| Facility Overview | |
|---|---|
| Identifier | ZAB |
| Facility Name | Albuquerque ARTCC |
| Type | En Route Center |
| Level | Level 10 |
| Location & Contact | |
|---|---|
| View on full map → ARTCC boundaries → | |
| Address | 8000 Louisiana Blvd NE Albuquerque, NM 87109 |
| Phone Number | 505-856-4500 |
Salary Information
2026 pay for Albuquerque ARTCC, built from the FAA Air Traffic Specialized Pay Plan bands:
| Career Level | Hourly Min. | Hourly Max. | Total Pay Min. | Total Pay Max. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPC | $67.47 | $91.09 | $140,818 | $190,104 |
| D3 | $57.27 | $67.47 | $119,523 | $140,818 |
| D2 | $47.07 | $57.27 | $98,230 | $119,523 |
| D1 | $36.87 | $47.07 | $76,942 | $98,230 |
| AG | $26.66 | $26.66 | $55,646 | $55,646 |
| Total Pay combines Basic Pay, Locality Pay. It excludes premium pay for overtime, nights, Sundays, and holidays. | ||||
| Pay Factors | |
|---|---|
| Facility Level | Level 10 |
| Locality Area | Albuquerque |
| Locality Pay | 18.33% |
| Local Affordability | |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | 95.6 (4.5% below avg) |
| Cost-Adjusted CPC Min | $147,376 |
How this pay is calculated
| Basic Pay (Level 10 CPC band maximum) | $160,656 |
|---|---|
| + Locality Pay (18.33% of Basic Pay for Albuquerque) | + $29,448 |
| = Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3) | $190,104 |
| = Total Pay | $190,104 |
| Basic Pay (Level 10 CPC band minimum) | $119,005 |
|---|---|
| + Locality Pay (18.33% of Basic Pay for Albuquerque) | + $21,813 |
| = Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3) | $140,818 |
| = Total Pay | $140,818 |
| Basic Pay (Level 10 D3 band maximum) | $119,005 |
|---|---|
| + Locality Pay (18.33% of Basic Pay for Albuquerque) | + $21,813 |
| = Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3) | $140,818 |
| = Total Pay | $140,818 |
| Basic Pay (Level 10 D3 band minimum) | $101,008 |
|---|---|
| + Locality Pay (18.33% of Basic Pay for Albuquerque) | + $18,515 |
| = Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3) | $119,523 |
| = Total Pay | $119,523 |
| Basic Pay (Level 10 D2 band maximum) | $101,008 |
|---|---|
| + Locality Pay (18.33% of Basic Pay for Albuquerque) | + $18,515 |
| = Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3) | $119,523 |
| = Total Pay | $119,523 |
| Basic Pay (Level 10 D2 band minimum) | $83,014 |
|---|---|
| + Locality Pay (18.33% of Basic Pay for Albuquerque) | + $15,216 |
| = Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3) | $98,230 |
| = Total Pay | $98,230 |
| Basic Pay (Level 10 D1 band maximum) | $83,014 |
|---|---|
| + Locality Pay (18.33% of Basic Pay for Albuquerque) | + $15,216 |
| = Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3) | $98,230 |
| = Total Pay | $98,230 |
| Basic Pay (Level 10 D1 band minimum) | $65,023 |
|---|---|
| + Locality Pay (18.33% of Basic Pay for Albuquerque) | + $11,919 |
| = Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3) | $76,942 |
| = Total Pay | $76,942 |
| Basic Pay (Academy Graduate band, set nationally) | $47,026 |
|---|---|
| + Locality Pay (18.33% of Basic Pay for Albuquerque) | + $8,620 |
| = Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3) | $55,646 |
| = Total Pay | $55,646 |
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 (18.33% of Basic Pay for Albuquerque) | + $8,620 |
| = Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3) | $55,646 |
| = Total Pay | $55,646 |
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 | 159 CPCs |
| CPC Target (CWP) | 234 CPCs |
| Current Staffing | 67.52% |
|
Projected Staffing
Show componentsHide components
|
79.54% |
| ↳ Est. Trainee Certifications | + 51.8 |
| ↳ Temporary Inbounds | + 1 |
| ↳ Projected Retirements/Losses | - 23.9 |
|
Number of Trainees
Show breakdownHide breakdown
|
68 trainees |
| ↳ Academy Graduates | 27 |
| ↳ Developmental 1 | 16 |
| ↳ Developmental 2 | 15 |
| ↳ Developmental 3 | 9 |
| ↳ CPC-IT 0 (Transfer) | 1 |
| Training Information, October 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Training Time (Avg) | 2.76 years |
| ↳ New Hires | 2.9 years |
| ↳ Transfers (CPC-IT) | 1.63 years |
| Training Success Rate (Avg) | 76% |
| ↳ New Hires | 77% |
| ↳ Transfers (CPC-IT) | 71% |
| Travel Days from Academy | 2 days |
Historical Trends
ZAB Staffing Percentages
ZAB Personnel Counts
ZAB Training Metrics
NCEPT
NCEPT manages controller-requested transfers between FAA facilities. See ZAB transfer selections on the Transfer Flow Map.
| Eligibility & Staffing, October 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Staffing Source | Academy Sourced |
| TSL (One Training Time) | 95.22% |
| Gaining Target | 100.22% |
| Possible Gains | 64 |
| Primary Releases Avail. | 0 |
| Secondary Releases Avail. | 0 |
| Secondary (ER to ER) | 0 |
| Transfer Activity | |
|---|---|
| Releases, Past 3 Yrs | 8 |
| ↳ Standard | 0 |
| ↳ Priority/Other | 8 |
| Gains, Past 3 Yrs | 0 |
| Last Standard Release | None in 3+ years |
| ERR Demand, September 15, 2026 | |
|---|---|
| ERRs on File (Inbound) | 5 |
| ↳ Releasable | 0 |
| Employees with ERRs (Outbound) | 18 |
| ↳ As % of CPCs | 11.3% |
| ↳ Total ERRs (Outbound) | 57 |
ERR Demand Trends
Selections by Year, 2016–2026
Traffic
| September 2025 - August 2026 (12 Months) | |
|---|---|
| En Route Aircraft | 1,908,047 aircraft/yr |
| Average Daily Aircraft | 5,228 aircraft/day |
| Peer Group Median (Lvl 10 Center) |
1,647,293 aircraft/yr |
| Relative Workload | +15.8% vs peer median |