Pay

MJ

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General info​

Basic pay: The basic amount determined by facility level (4-12) and career level (AG, D1, D2, D3, CPC).

Locality pay: Percentage adjustment for a geographic area, set by DoD and OPM.

Base pay: (Basic) x (Locality). Used as the base number for Retirement, premium pays, and some deductions. Also used to calculate your hourly rate.

COLA: Cost of living adjustment. In the process of being phased out. Only AK, HI, and the territories receive it. Exempt from tax, not included in retirement calculations.

Controller Incentive Pay (CIP): Given to certain "hard-to-staff" Facilities. Maximum of 10%. Not included in retirement calculations. This comes from a fixed pool of money, and can (and typically does) run out prior to the end of the fiscal year. It is calculated from basic pay, and is not tied to actual hours worked.

Premium pays: Only received when actually worked. Percentages are cumulative, multiplied by base pay (except CIP).
  • Holiday: 100%
  • Overtime: 50%
  • Sunday: 25%
  • Night (6pm-6am): 10%
  • Controller-in-charge: 10%
  • On the job training instruction: 10% (as of late 2022, temporarily 20%)
  • CIP: Facility specific
These apply to FAA controllers. Premium rates are the same for FAA/DoD. For DoD specific information, visit the DoD FAQ page

How much do FAA controllers make?​

Total pay depends on numerous factors; facility level, career level (developmental, CPC), and location. Facility levels range from 4-12 (based on complexity and amount of traffic). Each level has its pay range, with each career level having a band within that range. Your base pay cannot go outside of your pay band. View the base pay chart.

There are 5 developmental stages of training (Academy, AG, D1, D2, and D3). As you progress through training, you move up to the next stage, until reaching CPC. After reaching CPC, you will always be in the CPC band. You move up in the band through raises. Typically, raises occur in January and June, with the January raise lifting the entire pay band, and the June increasing pay within the band. The January raise is the Executive branch wide raise, and the June raise is by contract. For the Slate Book, the contract raise is 1.6%. The Executive raise varies yearly, and is not guaranteed.

To see how much a controller will make at a specific facility, visit the facility page in the wiki or the facility information app.

How does pay work with transferring different facility?​

It depends how you transfer. On an ERR or bid, you get 50% of the raise when you start at the new facility, and the remaining 50% after certification. For a hardship, pay will stay the same until certification.

For different pay scenarios, visit the Pay (FAQ) thread.

When can you retire?​

Controllers have a mandatory retirement age; You must retire at the end of the month that you turn 56 (exceptions: age waivers, or staff positions that don't require ratings). There are two factors for retirement: service time and good time. Service time is the amount of time used to compute your retirement pay, good time is time worked in the FAA as a controller (TMU, FLM also count) for retirement eligibility.

To retire you must:
  • 1) Have at least 20 years good time and be age 50+, or
  • 2) Have at least 25 years good time
Bought back military time is not considered good time.

If you will not have 20 years of service by age 56, mandatory retirement will be deferred until the end of the first month when 20 years is reached.

How is retirement pay calculated?​

There are two scenarios to retire under, standard and MRA+30.

Standard​

The Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) is the retirement annuity program FAA employees fall under. CSRS is the legacy program; unless you are already in it, you are ineligible. Currently, new employees' contribution is 4.9% (base pay). For those hired prior to 2013, it will be lower.

Your pension is based off your 3 highest paid years of employment (Base pay). Your first 20 years accrue a multiplier of 1.7% (total of 34%). Each additional year adds 1%. The final percentage is multiplied by base pay. Controllers are eligible for cost of living adjustments (increases) after retirement.

Additionally, there is social security and social security supplemental pay. The supplement begins when you retire, and discontinues at age 62, when you become eligible for social security. The supplement is roughly equivalent of what you're computed social security payment would be.

Visit the FERS handbook for detailed information.

MRA+30 (ATC Vision 100)​

This is only available to those who meet the minimum retirement age and have 30 or more years of service. At least five of those must be as a controller, 1st/2nd level supervisor.

The differences from standard retirement are as follows:
  • 1.7% for every year (see note below)
  • No social security supplemental pay
  • No cost of living adjustments until age 62
Sources for this are found in 5 U.S. Code § 8415 (f) & 8412 (a). Additional information at House Report 114-823. Download the "ATC Vision 100" special provisions pdf.

Every year worked as a CPC, 1st or 2nd level supervisor. All other federal service is 1%. See the ATC Vision 100 FAQ.

Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)​

The TSP is comparable to a 401k. You can contribute based on a fixed dollar amount or percentage (up to the yearly max). The FAA automatically contributes 1% of base pay to your account. 3% of your contribution will be matched 1 : 1, and the next 2% will be matched .5 : 1, for a total of 5% agency match.

You can elect to have your account classified as traditional (tax deferred) or Roth (tax exempt).

There is too much information to cover in a FAQ, and it is important that you understand this benefit. For more details, visit the TSP website.

How does save pay work?​

If entering the FAA from another federal position, your basic pay rate will transfer to the FAA, which will then have the applicable locality pay added to make the new base pay (if transferring in as a developmental, save pay will be capped at the top of D3). The same applies leaving the FAA; basic pay will transfer over to the closest GS step (rounded up) within the grade you are transferring to, then applicable locality/SSR rates will be added.

There are other scenarios where save pay is applied (facility downgrades, FLM promotion, etc.)

Facility Downgrade​

Anyone assigned to a facility being downgraded will save pay at the old pay band indefinitely (as long as they don't leave that specific position), if they are CPC within two years from the effective date of downgrade.

An FOL establishes assignment to the facility, a TOL does not.

What is my FERS contribution payment if I quit and was subsequently rehired?​

Generally, your contribution amount is the amount you paid at the time you were originally appointed to the position: Before 2013 - 0.8%, 2013 - 3.1%, after 2013 - 4.4%. https://www.commerce.gov/hr/employees/benefits/retirement/federal-employee-system

Paycheck Calculator​

Yup has designed a paycheck calculator for excel or numbers, available in this thread.

Thanks Yup!
 
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