controllers can earn 350,000 euros ($470,000; £297,000)
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controllers can earn 350,000 euros ($470,000; £297,000)
from the BBC article BBC News - Striking Spain air traffic controllers return to work
Being a bit of an armchair Economist and specificaly thinking about income distribution, this amount of money seems very high for this job? maybe the Big cheese/head of ops would get this type of pay? but do many peole in the industry ever earn near this?
can anybody out there shine some light on ATC salaries, for different countries please.
Many Tks
Being a bit of an armchair Economist and specificaly thinking about income distribution, this amount of money seems very high for this job? maybe the Big cheese/head of ops would get this type of pay? but do many peole in the industry ever earn near this?
can anybody out there shine some light on ATC salaries, for different countries please.
Many Tks
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UK... operational controllers with many years experience can earn around £80,000 at top units, otherwise considerably less. Supervisory posts have higher salaries.
Compare this with what a UK B747 Captain earns (including allowances) and you'll see that ATCOs do not earn mega-bucks.
Compare this with what a UK B747 Captain earns (including allowances) and you'll see that ATCOs do not earn mega-bucks.
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UK Military controllers realistically peak around £45k-£55k ... and get sent to warry places as well, where they might die.
Most are on £30k-£40k, which is about the same as many cabin crew on BA.
Hmmm ... shouldn't have joined if I couldn't take a joke.
Most are on £30k-£40k, which is about the same as many cabin crew on BA.
Hmmm ... shouldn't have joined if I couldn't take a joke.
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UK Mil controllers earn £45 - £55 K typically
UK Mil controllers earn £45 - £55 K typically. They also get subsidised accomodation, free sports facilities, free dental, free medical and an excellent non contributary pension scheme. Not to mention cheap food (how many jobs can you get 3 square meals every day for under a fiver). Other perks aswell such as cheap booze in the mess (Have to be a member of the officer or sgt's mess to control).
They also get the privalige of parade practice, GDT, guard duty and importantly of all - free clothes for work (usually blue or grey in colour).
Not to mention a tax free lump sum on leaving, 21/2k a year towards personal training every year for 3 years.
Best of all, the majority get the magnificent honour of quickly raising their right hand to the forehead (in an expeditious manner) to pay homage whenever they come across a demi god who has attended a course only for the best/elite at the greatest military academy ever conceived - Cranwell. A place where the some of the greatest military minds have been trained such as :
....................................I will have to get back to you on that one, although I did hear that one graduate from Cranwell won a game of Risk once!
By the way I am a Uk civil controller who has worked with Mil controllers so I know the gossip. At least I think I do.
Anyway back to my Warsteiner, a beer I was introduced to by a SNCO controller who knew his stuff.
They also get the privalige of parade practice, GDT, guard duty and importantly of all - free clothes for work (usually blue or grey in colour).
Not to mention a tax free lump sum on leaving, 21/2k a year towards personal training every year for 3 years.
Best of all, the majority get the magnificent honour of quickly raising their right hand to the forehead (in an expeditious manner) to pay homage whenever they come across a demi god who has attended a course only for the best/elite at the greatest military academy ever conceived - Cranwell. A place where the some of the greatest military minds have been trained such as :
....................................I will have to get back to you on that one, although I did hear that one graduate from Cranwell won a game of Risk once!
By the way I am a Uk civil controller who has worked with Mil controllers so I know the gossip. At least I think I do.
Anyway back to my Warsteiner, a beer I was introduced to by a SNCO controller who knew his stuff.
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thanks for your replys so far.. do you think this figure quoted by BBC is very much sensational journalism? or are Spanish ATC's paid vastly more than their European counterparts
the figure to me seems way out of whack
the figure to me seems way out of whack
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Junior Jetset,
I have heard about these figures before when talking about Spanish ATCOs but as I understand it, they have a very good overtime deal. But they have to work a lot of overtime, which bumps up their salary.
Also what you have to remember is that these are the "headline" figures and most will be on considerably less.
Their government has negotiated these deals in the past and had no problems with it, but now it is not politically 'acceptable' they have made them public and decided to change the rules and conditions of employment. Even though they agreed with it in the first place !!!
It is a very interesting situation
I have heard about these figures before when talking about Spanish ATCOs but as I understand it, they have a very good overtime deal. But they have to work a lot of overtime, which bumps up their salary.
Also what you have to remember is that these are the "headline" figures and most will be on considerably less.
Their government has negotiated these deals in the past and had no problems with it, but now it is not politically 'acceptable' they have made them public and decided to change the rules and conditions of employment. Even though they agreed with it in the first place !!!
It is a very interesting situation
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Royal Air Force Pay Scales - Armed Forces - RAF Officers Pay Rates - Other Ranks Pay Rates
The majority of controllers are flying officers/flight lieutenants ... that's £30k-£45k.
There are many other aspects, including those you mentioned ... and of course being posted somewhere new every 2 1/2 years whether you like it or not.
The majority of controllers are flying officers/flight lieutenants ... that's £30k-£45k.
There are many other aspects, including those you mentioned ... and of course being posted somewhere new every 2 1/2 years whether you like it or not.
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junior jetset
It's not quite as simple as that, I'm afraid, because what I think you are looking for, a comparison of salaries can be very misleading.
A low salary in a country with a low cost of living could give you an equally good living as someone living where you live.
Also, allowances and perks are generally not included in salary. Then you have to convert an overseas salary to your own currency to get a true comparison.
To give you a couple of examples, if you had worked for Eurocontrol a few years ago you would have been entitled to purchase a tax-free car every year, if you were French. So, if you treated yourself to a top of the range car every year it would have been quite a saving.
If you work in the Middle East you generally don't pay any tax, so you need to add your local tax rate to that to compare. Many Middle East packages also include free accommodation and free utility bills. These can add up to quite substantial outgoings if you have to pay them yourself out of your salary.
My own situation in my last ATC outfit, if you include all allowances, meant that to earn the same in my home country I would have needed to earn in the region of €360,000, but my salary was nowhere near that sum and with changing exchange rates would now be substantially lower. Also, the cost of living was substantially higher than my home country.
You need to compare total packages rather than just salary to get a meaningful comparison.
can anybody out there shine some light on ATC salaries, for different countries please.
A low salary in a country with a low cost of living could give you an equally good living as someone living where you live.
Also, allowances and perks are generally not included in salary. Then you have to convert an overseas salary to your own currency to get a true comparison.
To give you a couple of examples, if you had worked for Eurocontrol a few years ago you would have been entitled to purchase a tax-free car every year, if you were French. So, if you treated yourself to a top of the range car every year it would have been quite a saving.
If you work in the Middle East you generally don't pay any tax, so you need to add your local tax rate to that to compare. Many Middle East packages also include free accommodation and free utility bills. These can add up to quite substantial outgoings if you have to pay them yourself out of your salary.
My own situation in my last ATC outfit, if you include all allowances, meant that to earn the same in my home country I would have needed to earn in the region of €360,000, but my salary was nowhere near that sum and with changing exchange rates would now be substantially lower. Also, the cost of living was substantially higher than my home country.
You need to compare total packages rather than just salary to get a meaningful comparison.
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I take €6800 NET pcm.
I am single & have no kids, therefore miss out on some of the tax breaks and extra allowances.
I am fully qualified for about 24 months.
Married with kids and on the job for 10+yrs and id be taking €10k per month easy.
Nothing like the Spanish figures, but not bad either. Then again compare it to say a banker or a top surgeon or dare I say it a footballer and its peanuts.
Im surprised the NATS salaries are so low, do they have any problems with staff retention?
€6800 NET = approx 110k GBP gross - substantially more than what a UK controller takes.
I am single & have no kids, therefore miss out on some of the tax breaks and extra allowances.
I am fully qualified for about 24 months.
Married with kids and on the job for 10+yrs and id be taking €10k per month easy.
Nothing like the Spanish figures, but not bad either. Then again compare it to say a banker or a top surgeon or dare I say it a footballer and its peanuts.
Im surprised the NATS salaries are so low, do they have any problems with staff retention?
€6800 NET = approx 110k GBP gross - substantially more than what a UK controller takes.
More than just an ATCO
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if you had worked for Eurocontrol a few years ago you would have been entitled to purchase a tax-free car every year, if you were French. So, if you treated yourself to a top of the range car every year it would have been quite a saving.
WRONG.
In the beginning it was a mice perk but only when established and working in Brussel, so up to 1974. After the move to Maastricht there was nothing for several years but now newly joined staff are allowed one however it has to be imported into the country of residence, taxes paid, before it can be sold on.
Of course the drones in Brussel have managed to retain the perk for themselves hence the EURO plates you may see around there
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@ BeT: Expect any recruitment for already licensed ATCO's at Maastricht shortly? 
I'm in the same climate, but earn considerably less.
About 7 months since my last checkout, single and no kids gives me a tad more than half you've got..about 3800 Euro's net.
I'm in the same climate, but earn considerably less. About 7 months since my last checkout, single and no kids gives me a tad more than half you've got..about 3800 Euro's net.
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Thanks again to all for the response.
In today's article BBC News - Britons warned to expect Spain flight strike delays
500,000 euros is mentioned.
"The sense I'm getting is that people are incredibly frustrated here. They understand the importance of tourism to the economy. It turns out some of these people on strike earn 500,000 euros (£424) a year, which is more than the UK prime minister."
I can't help but think both the journalists and the peole being quoted are misinformed or is it me?
I base this on Economic understanding on wage/employment reward theory -
Why would they, the Spanish Government have to pay so much for ATC's ?
Surely there can't be a problem in finding people who want to work in this job and have the appitude to do it.
Training is easily provided and not as exspensive like gaining an ATPL - although I do apprecaite the time to train is similar or longer.
Therefore the supply of candidates is not a problem, and thus this sgould drive down teh reward you have to pay for the labour.
Or maybe the figures are true and this is one of the reason's why Spain is in so much debt as they overpay. Surely with 20% unemployed there is scope to train up the young and keen who who could do the job at a fraction of the coast akin to Ryanair FOs
In today's article BBC News - Britons warned to expect Spain flight strike delays
500,000 euros is mentioned.
"The sense I'm getting is that people are incredibly frustrated here. They understand the importance of tourism to the economy. It turns out some of these people on strike earn 500,000 euros (£424) a year, which is more than the UK prime minister."
I can't help but think both the journalists and the peole being quoted are misinformed or is it me?
I base this on Economic understanding on wage/employment reward theory -
Why would they, the Spanish Government have to pay so much for ATC's ?
Surely there can't be a problem in finding people who want to work in this job and have the appitude to do it.
Training is easily provided and not as exspensive like gaining an ATPL - although I do apprecaite the time to train is similar or longer.
Therefore the supply of candidates is not a problem, and thus this sgould drive down teh reward you have to pay for the labour.
Or maybe the figures are true and this is one of the reason's why Spain is in so much debt as they overpay. Surely with 20% unemployed there is scope to train up the young and keen who who could do the job at a fraction of the coast akin to Ryanair FOs
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"On The Beach" makes a fair point about comparing different tax regimes and cost of living. However, I think most people here are capable of understanding that out themselves.
May I suggest we just quote "Annual Gross" salary? ... at least then we have one point of reference. Otherwise it gets incredibly complicated.
BTW, RAF [and indeed all UK military] pay is reduced from what it should be [as a strict civilian comparison] to recognise the benefits received ... if I can remember what they might have been.
My pension is quite nice, but that has to cover me from age 55 until death; my civil colleagues can soldier on to 65, because they don't have to be fit enough to go to war
May I suggest we just quote "Annual Gross" salary? ... at least then we have one point of reference. Otherwise it gets incredibly complicated.
BTW, RAF [and indeed all UK military] pay is reduced from what it should be [as a strict civilian comparison] to recognise the benefits received ... if I can remember what they might have been.
My pension is quite nice, but that has to cover me from age 55 until death; my civil colleagues can soldier on to 65, because they don't have to be fit enough to go to war
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Training ATCOs costs a lot, usually paid up front by the ANSPs.
AENA found it cheaper to pay very generous overtime rates rather than employ and train the correct amount of staff. So much so that Spanish ATCOs were earning large salaries ( but still not the figures bandied about in the media).
The Spanish government want to privitise AENA so they briefed media with exagerated rates of pay while simultaneously increasing the hours worked by about 40% and capped salaries. All this with no negotiation.
At least that's my understanding of it.
As far as UK salaries go HD is on the money in post #2
AENA found it cheaper to pay very generous overtime rates rather than employ and train the correct amount of staff. So much so that Spanish ATCOs were earning large salaries ( but still not the figures bandied about in the media).
The Spanish government want to privitise AENA so they briefed media with exagerated rates of pay while simultaneously increasing the hours worked by about 40% and capped salaries. All this with no negotiation.
At least that's my understanding of it.
As far as UK salaries go HD is on the money in post #2
