ZHU
Houston ARTCC
FAA En Route Air Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) Houston, Texas
Facility Information
| Facility Overview | |
|---|---|
| Identifier | ZHU |
| Facility Name | Houston ARTCC |
| Type | En Route Center |
| Level | Level 11 |
| Location & Contact | |
|---|---|
| View on full map → ARTCC boundaries → | |
| Address | 16600 John F Kennedy Blvd Houston, TX 77032 |
| Phone Number | 713-230-5500 |
Salary Information
2026 pay for Houston ARTCC, built from the FAA Air Traffic Specialized Pay Plan bands:
| Career Level | Hourly Min. | Hourly Max. | Total Pay Min. | Total Pay Max. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPC | $81.02 | $109.25 | $169,083 | $228,000 |
| D3 | $68.37 | $81.02 | $142,687 | $169,083 |
| D2 | $55.72 | $68.37 | $116,287 | $142,687 |
| D1 | $43.07 | $55.72 | $89,885 | $116,287 |
| AG | $30.42 | $30.42 | $63,485 | $63,485 |
| Total Pay combines Basic Pay, Locality Pay. It excludes premium pay for overtime, nights, Sundays, and holidays. | ||||
| Pay Factors | |
|---|---|
| Facility Level | Level 11 |
| Locality Area | Houston |
| Locality Pay | 35.00% |
| Local Affordability | |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | 98.6 (1.4% below avg) |
| Cost-Adjusted CPC Min | $171,432 |
How this pay is calculated
| Basic Pay (Level 11 CPC band maximum) | $169,087 |
|---|---|
| + Locality Pay (35% of Basic Pay for Houston) | + $59,180 |
| − Statutory pay cap (Basic + Locality cannot exceed $228,000) | − $267 |
| = Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3) | $228,000 |
| = Total Pay | $228,000 |
| Basic Pay (Level 11 CPC band minimum) | $125,247 |
|---|---|
| + Locality Pay (35% of Basic Pay for Houston) | + $43,836 |
| = Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3) | $169,083 |
| = Total Pay | $169,083 |
| Basic Pay (Level 11 D3 band maximum) | $125,247 |
|---|---|
| + Locality Pay (35% of Basic Pay for Houston) | + $43,836 |
| = Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3) | $169,083 |
| = Total Pay | $169,083 |
| Basic Pay (Level 11 D3 band minimum) | $105,694 |
|---|---|
| + Locality Pay (35% of Basic Pay for Houston) | + $36,993 |
| = Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3) | $142,687 |
| = Total Pay | $142,687 |
| Basic Pay (Level 11 D2 band maximum) | $105,694 |
|---|---|
| + Locality Pay (35% of Basic Pay for Houston) | + $36,993 |
| = Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3) | $142,687 |
| = Total Pay | $142,687 |
| Basic Pay (Level 11 D2 band minimum) | $86,138 |
|---|---|
| + Locality Pay (35% of Basic Pay for Houston) | + $30,149 |
| = Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3) | $116,287 |
| = Total Pay | $116,287 |
| Basic Pay (Level 11 D1 band maximum) | $86,138 |
|---|---|
| + Locality Pay (35% of Basic Pay for Houston) | + $30,149 |
| = Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3) | $116,287 |
| = Total Pay | $116,287 |
| Basic Pay (Level 11 D1 band minimum) | $66,581 |
|---|---|
| + Locality Pay (35% of Basic Pay for Houston) | + $23,304 |
| = Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3) | $89,885 |
| = Total Pay | $89,885 |
| Basic Pay (Academy Graduate band, set nationally) | $47,026 |
|---|---|
| + Locality Pay (35% of Basic Pay for Houston) | + $16,459 |
| = Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3) | $63,485 |
| = Total Pay | $63,485 |
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 (35% of Basic Pay for Houston) | + $16,459 |
| = Adjusted Basic Pay (counts toward your High-3) | $63,485 |
| = Total Pay | $63,485 |
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, November 2026 | |
|---|---|
| CPCs on Board | 254 CPCs |
| CPC Target (CWP) | 257 CPCs |
| Current Staffing | 97.67% |
|
Projected Staffing
Show componentsHide components
|
107.38% |
| ↳ Est. Trainee Certifications | + 65.1 |
| ↳ Committed Outbounds | - 3 |
| ↳ Projected Retirements/Losses | - 36.3 |
|
Number of Trainees
Show breakdownHide breakdown
|
74 trainees |
| ↳ Academy Graduates | 25 |
| ↳ Developmental 1 | 12 |
| ↳ Developmental 2 | 17 |
| ↳ Developmental 3 | 14 |
| ↳ CPC-IT 0 (Transfer) | 1 |
| ↳ CPC-IT 1 (Transfer) | 2 |
| ↳ CPC-IT 2 (Transfer) | 3 |
| Training Information, November 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Training Time (Avg) | 2.28 years |
| ↳ New Hires | 2.67 years |
| ↳ Transfers (CPC-IT) | 1.31 years |
| Training Success Rate (Avg) | 88% |
| ↳ New Hires | 90% |
| ↳ Transfers (CPC-IT) | 84% |
| Travel Days from Academy | 1 days |
Historical Trends
ZHU Staffing Percentages
ZHU Personnel Counts
ZHU Training Metrics
NCEPT
NCEPT manages controller-requested transfers between FAA facilities. See ZHU transfer selections on the Transfer Flow Map.
| Eligibility & Staffing, November 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Staffing Source | Academy Sourced |
| TSL (One Training Time) | 93.95% |
| Gaining Target | 98.95% |
| Possible Gains | 0 |
| Primary Releases Avail. | 25 |
| Secondary Releases Avail. | 0 |
| Secondary (ER to ER) | 20 |
| Transfer Activity | |
|---|---|
| Releases, Past 3 Yrs | 31 |
| ↳ Standard | 30 |
| ↳ Priority/Other | 1 |
| Gains, Past 3 Yrs | 12 |
| Last Standard Release | 11 days ago |
| ERR Demand, October 14, 2026 | |
|---|---|
| ERRs on File (Inbound) | 34 |
| ↳ Releasable | 3 |
| Employees with ERRs (Outbound) | 6 |
| ↳ As % of CPCs | 2.4% |
| ↳ Total ERRs (Outbound) | 9 |
ERR Demand Trends
Selections by Year, 2016–2026
Traffic
| October 2025 - September 2026 (12 Months) | |
|---|---|
| En Route Aircraft | 2,465,443 aircraft/yr |
| Average Daily Aircraft | 6,755 aircraft/day |
| Peer Group Median (Lvl 11 Center) |
1,938,492 aircraft/yr |
| Relative Workload | +27.2% vs peer median |