A few pre OKC ATC Trainee questions.

[Twhitej5]

Hello all.

After searching through a few threads to gather as much info as I can I still have a few questions I hope some won't mind answering. I just received my TOL after applying in June '22 and am waiting to get info back on setting up all other pre-employment stuff.

Questions being,

1. is the current pay while at the academy as an ATC trainee JUST the pay that's based off $34k annual salary? I keep seeing things about a daily lodging and food per diem. Is that for people in OKC for things OTHER than ATC trainees or is that for ATC trainees, in addition to the $34k average annual salary?
2. I've heard they take consideration of what region you would LIKE to be placed in after completing training in OKC but haven't found anything from the FAA that confirms that. Is there much chance of going to a state/region you'd like to be in?
3. After completing training I see a starting salary of something around $40K. How soon does that increase? My understanding is it's based on completing certifications and the like but was curious the time frame that most ATC's get those done in to increase pay. So after a year or two, what kind a of pay might one expect to be at if they followed the normal path at say a tower?

Thanks in advance for any answers to these.

 

[Phanatical]

1. Academy pay is just over $15/hr. You will receive a meal voucher for $64/day which will be set up by student services. This will be paid out separately. There is also a housing allowance which you will not see; it will go directly to the provider.

2. There are no guarantees in placement. You will be given a list of facilities of greatest need.

3. Pay will increase as you progress in steps through the training program at your facility. Each facility is different so giving a timeline isn’t useful. You may be fully certified in 4 months, 4 years, or perhaps not at all. The only guaranteed raise in the contract is 1.6% increase in June.

 

[Stuckhere4ever]

1. At the academy you should earn $15 an hour plus whatever the food per diem rate is these days. They will pay for your housing directly. You will have to submit vouchers for your per diem. They will guide you through that when you get there.
2. From what I've seen, you have to be quite lucky to get back to your desired region. They don't take your preference into consideration at all. You just have to hope something near home is on there and then you have to score high enough to secure it. Keep an open mind on living somewhere new :/
3. This depends on what facility you go to. If you go tower, you will most likely get a raise sooner but your CPC raise will be much lower than at an En Route facility. Most towers have an AG, D3, & CPC payscale but that depends on the level of your facility. If you hit the ground running at tower you could expect to get a raise within a year. If your tower doesn't have an approach control, you can easily CPC in a year. Go on 123.atc for examples of what you can expect to make at different facilities. Just hit the facilities tab and search one up. If you're Enroute you will get a raise after completing your first 2 D-sides. There's a training backlog in a lot of centers though. You could get stuck in a classroom for 1-2 years waiting to start training. On the flip side you could get lucky and start training within a few months and get a pay raise in your first year or year and a half. My Enroute estimates could be off but they should be relatively close based off what I've heard from friends.

 

[Twhitej5]

1. Academy pay is just over $15/hr. You will receive a meal voucher for $64/day which will be set up by student services. This will be paid out separately. There is also a housing allowance which you will not see; it will go directly to the provider.

2. There are no guarantees in placement. You will be given a list of facilities of greatest need.

3. Pay will increase as you progress in steps through the training program at your facility. Each facility is different so giving a timeline isn’t useful. You may be fully certified in 4 months, 4 years, or perhaps not at all. The only guaranteed raise in the contract is 1.6% increase in June.

This is all super helpful. Thank you. I ask because we're a single income family with a 1 year old and another due in March so I need to get as much of these details nailed down as I can before I get too far into the process. I've heard the max they pay for housing is something like $62.40 a day? I'll more than likely be bringing the family with me so we'll be needing enough room for 4. Thanks again.

1. At the academy you should earn $15 an hour plus whatever the food per diem rate is these days. They will pay for your housing directly. You will have to submit vouchers for your per diem. They will guide you through that when you get there.
2. From what I've seen, you have to be quite lucky to get back to your desired region. They don't take your preference into consideration at all. You just have to hope something near home is on there and then you have to score high enough to secure it. Keep an open mind on living somewhere new :/
3. This depends on what facility you go to. If you go tower, you will most likely get a raise sooner but your CPC raise will be much lower than at an En Route facility. Most towers have an AG, D3, & CPC payscale but that depends on the level of your facility. If you hit the ground running at tower you could expect to get a raise within a year. If your tower doesn't have an approach control, you can easily CPC in a year. Go on 123.atc for examples of what you can expect to make at different facilities. Just hit the facilities tab and search one up. If you're Enroute you will get a raise after completing your first 2 D-sides. There's a training backlog in a lot of centers though. You could get stuck in a classroom for 1-2 years waiting to start training. On the flip side you could get lucky and start training within a few months and get a pay raise in your first year or year and a half. My Enroute estimates could be off but they should be relatively close based off what I've heard from friends.

I appreciate the help. I figured the salary would really be difficult to know ahead of time but being a single income family I need to have as good an idea as I can. We don't mind moving wherever we have to as long as it's possible to relocate after a certain period of time and from what I understand, that's normal. We just can only live on so little for so long with two littles ones. Thanks again!

 

[Bird.Person]

This is all super helpful. Thank you. I ask because we're a single income family with a 1 year old and another due in March so I need to get as much of these details nailed down as I can before I get too far into the process. I've heard the max they pay for housing is something like $62.40 a day? I'll more than likely be bringing the family with me so we'll be needing enough room for 4. Thanks again.

They’ll pay for your housing, but my actual paychecks were about $600 biweekly at the academy in 2017. If you have other bills besides housing then you might want to save up some cash before you go.

 

[slater]

If you are a veteran you can use your gi bill as well to offset

 

[32andBelow]

If you are a veteran you can use your gi bill as well to offset

Might want to save that cus you could get way more depending on where you first facility is

 

[Twhitej5]

If you are a veteran you can use your gi bill as well to offset

Regrettably I am not

1. Academy pay is just over $15/hr. You will receive a meal voucher for $64/day which will be set up by student services. This will be paid out separately. There is also a housing allowance which you will not see; it will go directly to the provider.

2. There are no guarantees in placement. You will be given a list of facilities of greatest need.

3. Pay will increase as you progress in steps through the training program at your facility. Each facility is different so giving a timeline isn’t useful. You may be fully certified in 4 months, 4 years, or perhaps not at all. The only guaranteed raise in the contract is 1.6% increase in June.

One more question I had forgot. When you do get approved for everything, do they give you a day to report to OKC or a do they give you options?

 

[shoak]

One more question I had forgot. When you do get approved for everything, do they give you a day to report to OKC or a do they give you options?

You are typically offered a class date. You can accept it or request a deferment with a reason.

 

[Twhitej5]

You are typically offered a class date. You can accept it or request a deferment with a reason.

Is there a standard time frame? Like they give you one 30 days from the offer or something like that?

 

[GulfBravoPapa]

Is there a standard time frame? Like they give you one 30 days from the offer or something like that?

Not really. If someone drops out of another class it could be a weeks notice, or it could be a months notice if all classes are full up.

 

[Plusorminus]

Is there a standard time frame? Like they give you one 30 days from the offer or something like that?

I was given two options with two weeks between them. Once the email comes, it can be less than 30days.

 

[32andBelow]

I was given two options with two weeks between them. Once the email comes, it can be less than 30days.

From what i can tell us they aren’t as hard core as they used to be. Back in the day they could say 5 days take it or leave it. They gave me like 6 weeks notice and I said anything later and they just tacked on an extra month

 

[Twhitej5]

From what i can tell us they aren’t as hard core as they used to be. Back in the day they could say 5 days take it or leave it. They gave me like 6 weeks notice and I said anything later and they just tacked on an extra month

Wow. There seems to be a consistency of inconsistency around every part of this process ha.

 

[32andBelow]

Wow. There seems to be a consistency of inconsistency around every part of this process ha.

Some will depend on your randomly assigned rep. Mine like privately messaged me and asked if I would accept a date and I asked for later so I never like refused my official date.

 

[Twhitej5]

Some will depend on your randomly assigned rep. Mine like privately messaged me and asked if I would accept a date and I asked for later so I never like refused my official date.

That would be nice. Maybe I'll get lucky in all these things ha.

Not really. If someone drops out of another class it could be a weeks notice, or it could be a months notice if all classes are full up.

Is there any chance you know how the health insurance works? Is everyone given a standard plan or get to choose?

 

[32andBelow]

Is there any chance you know how the health insurance works? Is everyone given a standard plan or get to choose?

You get a list to chose from. I recommend just taking blue cross basic at first. You’ll have another chance to change if you want when you get to your facility.

But you can look on plans on OPM website if you want to do research in advance

 

[Robert_Boucher]

BCBS and GEHA are probably the main plans people have, most have BCBS. I've had both and prefer GEHA Elevate + just for the ability to get more on my FSA cards and the free virtual DR visits. There's 4 in my family with two kids under 7 that always seems to be sick with something.

Due your own research to see what fits for your family.

For BCBS. Compare Our Plans

2025 health plan compare tool

Quickly compare G.E.H.A's five health plans side-by-side to see which one works best for you.

www.geha.com

Healthcare : Compare 2025 Plans - OPM.gov

Welcome to opm.gov

www.opm.gov

 

[32andBelow]

BCBS and GEHA are probably the main plans people have, most have BCBS. I've had both and prefer GEHA Elevate + just for the ability to get more on my FSA cards and the free virtual DR visits. There's 4 in my family with two kids under 7 that always seems to be sick with something.

Due your own research to see what fits for your family.

For BCBS. Compare Our Plans

2025 health plan compare tool

Quickly compare G.E.H.A's five health plans side-by-side to see which one works best for you.

www.geha.com

Healthcare : Compare 2025 Plans - OPM.gov

Welcome to opm.gov

www.opm.gov

Id do BCBS during academy since there’s no deductible. No reason to pay towards a deductible for part of the year and you might not make it.

 

[MJ]

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