ZAU
Chicago ARTCC
FAA En Route Center Aurora, Illinois
Facility Information
| Facility Overview | |
|---|---|
| Identifier | ZAU |
| Facility Name | Chicago ARTCC |
| Type | En Route Center |
| Leveli | Level 12 |
| Airspace & Operations | |
|---|---|
| Hours of Operationi | 0000-2359 (always open) |
| Surface Area | |
| Location & Contact | |
|---|---|
| View map of all ARTCC boundaries → | |
| Address | 619 W New Indian Trail Rd Aurora, IL 60506 |
| Phone Number | 630-906-8200 |
Salary Information
2026 Pay for Chicago ARTCC
| Career Leveli | Hourly Min. | Hourly Max. | Salary Min. | Salary Max.i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPC | $85.68 | $113.59 | $178,806 | $237,055 |
| D3 | $71.92 | $85.68 | $150,089 | $178,806 |
| D2 | $58.16 | $71.92 | $121,376 | $150,089 |
| D1 | $44.40 | $58.16 | $92,655 | $121,376 |
| AG | $30.64 | $30.64 | $63,936 | $63,936 |
| Includes everything except premium pay. | ||||
ATC pay has stalled over the past decade. Marangos & Brown are on a mission to increase pay.
| Pay Factors | |
|---|---|
| Facility Leveli | Level 12 |
| Locality Area | Chicago |
| Locality Payi | 30.86% |
| Controller Incentive Pay (CIP)i | 5.10% |
| Local Affordability | |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living Indexi | 103.6 (3.6% above avg) |
| Cost-Adjusted CPC Mini | $172,593 |
Staffing and Training
| Staffing Information, April 2026 | |
|---|---|
| CPCs on Boardi | 273 CPCs |
| 2026 TRB Targeti | 290 CPCs |
| 2026 TRB Staffingi | 94% |
| CRWG Targeti | 321 CPCs |
|
Number of Trainees
Click to view breakdown
|
92 trainees |
| ↳ Academy Graduates | 28 |
| ↳ Developmental 1 | 16 |
| ↳ Developmental 2 | 25 |
| ↳ Developmental 3 | 16 |
| ↳ CPC-IT 0 (Transfer) | 3 |
| ↳ CPC-IT 1 (Transfer) | 1 |
| ↳ CPC-IT 2 (Transfer) | 2 |
| ↳ CPC-IT 3 (Transfer) | 1 |
| Current CRWG Staffingi | 85% |
|
Projected CRWG Staffingi
Click to view components
|
92% |
| ↳ Est. Trainee Certifications | + 75.1 |
| ↳ Committed Outbounds | - 6 |
| ↳ Projected Retirements/Losses | - 44.9 |
| Training Information, April 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Training Time (Avg)i | 2.77 years |
| ↳ New Hires | 3.15 years |
| ↳ Transfers (CPC-IT) | 1.4 years |
| Training Success Rate (Avg)i | 82% |
| ↳ New Hires | 82% |
| ↳ Transfers (CPC-IT) | 82% |
| Travel Days from Academyi | 2 days |
Historical Trends
ZAU Staffing Percentages
ZAU Personnel Counts
ZAU Training Metrics
Traffic
| May 2025 - April 2026 (12 Months) | |
|---|---|
| En Route Aircraft | 2,310,641 aircraft/year |
| Average Daily Aircraft | 6,331 aircraft/day |
| Peer Group Median (Lvl 12 Center) |
2,473,265 aircraft/year |
| Relative Workloadi | -6.6% vs peer median |
Traffic History
NCEPT
| Current NCEPT Metrics | |
|---|---|
| Possible Lossesi Apr 2026 |
0 |
| Expected Staffing (12-Month)i Apr 2026 |
88.3% |
| Possible Gains to National Avgi Apr 2026 |
0 |
| Priority / Draft Orderi Mar 2026 |
#131 |
| Inbound ERRs on Filei Feb 2026 |
11 |
| Employees with Outbound ERRsi Feb 2026 |
6 (2.2%) |
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 | Central |
| District | Chicago |
| HR Region | Great Lakes |