Air traffic controller
Controls air traffic at and near airports and between control centers, directing and regulating flights to keep them safe.
Will AI replace air traffic controller jobs?
AI changes jobs more often than it replaces them. How much AI can help with this work: Medium. More AI overlap than 60 in 100 jobs. AI helps with some tasks, like paperwork or first drafts. People still do the core of the job. 0% of this job’s working time is already spent on tasks people bring to AI at work (Anthropic Economic Index). Based on Microsoft research on real AI use at work, matched to the tasks of each job in O*NET.
What AI already helps with
- Complete daily activity reports and keep records of messages from aircraft
- Study weather reports, fuel needs, and maps to decide air routes
- Stay in radio or phone contact with other towers to coordinate planes
What stays human
- Inspect, adjust, or control radio equipment and airport lights
- Alert airport emergency services when aircraft have trouble
- Hand off departing flights to control centers and take over arriving ones
10-year outlook · USA
Expected change in the number of these jobs by 2035: +1.7%. Typical pay: $148,080 a year. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. German figures differ, but the direction is usually similar.
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