2026 pay for Washington ARTCC, built from the FAA Air Traffic Specialized Pay Plan bands:
Career Level
Hourly Min.
Hourly Max.
Total Pay Min.
Total Pay Max.
CPC
$87.30
$113.16
$182,199
$236,167
D3
$73.28
$87.30
$152,937
$182,199
D2
$59.26
$73.28
$123,680
$152,937
D1
$45.24
$59.26
$94,413
$123,680
AG
$31.22
$31.22
$65,149
$65,149
Total Pay combines Basic Pay, Locality Pay, and the additions listed under Pay Factors, including this facility's 4.6% 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 12
Locality Area
Washington-Baltimore
Locality Pay
33.94%
Controller Incentive Pay (CIP)
4.60%
Local Affordability
Cost of Living Index
108.9 (8.9% above avg)
Cost-Adjusted CPC Min
$167,339
How this pay is calculated
Basic Pay (Level 12 CPC band maximum)
$177,543
+ Locality Pay (33.94% of Basic Pay for Washington-Baltimore)
+ $60,258
− Statutory pay cap (Basic + Locality cannot exceed $228,000)
+ Controller Incentive Pay (4.6% of Basic Pay, not of the locality-adjusted figure)
+ $2,163
= Total Pay
$65,149
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, November 2026
CPCs on Board
258 CPCs
CPC Target (CWP)
281 CPCs
Current Staffing
90.39%
Projected Staffing
Show componentsHide components
101.47%
↳ Est. Trainee Certifications
+ 81.9
↳ Committed Inbounds
+ 2
↳ Committed Outbounds
- 6
↳ Placement List Outbounds
- 1
↳ Projected Retirements/Losses
- 44.5
Number of Trainees
Show breakdownHide breakdown
102 trainees
↳ Academy Graduates
34
↳ Developmental 1
20
↳ Developmental 2
24
↳ Developmental 3
17
↳ CPC-IT 0 (Transfer)
3
↳ CPC-IT 2 (Transfer)
1
↳ CPC-IT 3 (Transfer)
3
Training Information, November 2026
Training Time (Avg)
3.1 years
↳ New Hires
3.4 years
↳ Transfers (CPC-IT)
1.79 years
Training Success Rate (Avg)
80%
↳ New Hires
82%
↳ Transfers (CPC-IT)
74%
Travel Days from Academy
3 days
Historical Trends
ZDC Staffing Percentages
ZDC Personnel Counts
ZDC Training Metrics
NCEPT
NCEPT manages controller-requested transfers between FAA facilities.
See ZDC transfer selections on the Transfer Flow Map.