FAA hiring window set

The Federal Aviation Administration will open its 2026 hiring window for entry-level air traffic controllers at 12 a.m. Eastern on April 17. (faa.gov) Applicants will apply through USAJobs for the Air Traffic Control Specialist trainee job, and the posting will close once 8,000 applications are received. (usajobs.gov) The Federal Aviation Administration says applicants must be United States citizens, speak English clearly, be younger than 31 before the application closes, and have at least one year of full-time work or college experience, or a mix of both. (faa.gov, faa.gov) No college degree is required for the job, but applicants must pass the Air Traffic Skills Assessment, medical screening, and security checks before training at the Federal Aviation Administration Academy in Oklahoma City. (faa.gov) The hiring push comes as the agency tries to rebuild staffing after years of shortages. The Government Accountability Office said the Federal Aviation Administration employed 13,164 controllers at the end of fiscal 2025, about 6 percent fewer than in 2015, even as flights using the system rose about 10 percent from 2015 to 2024. (gao.gov) Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said on April 10 that the agency now has almost 11,000 controllers in service and more than 4,000 trainees in the pipeline, the highest staffing level in six years. (faa.gov) The Federal Aviation Administration says it has shortened the entry hiring process from eight steps to five, cutting more than four months from the timeline. The Transportation Department said applicants moved into the academy four times faster last year after broader process changes. (faa.gov, transportation.gov) The agency is also changing how it recruits. Its new campaign targets younger applicants, including video gamers, after controller exit interviews found some workers linked gaming to quick decision-making, focus, and handling complex tasks. (faa.gov) The job posting says trainees start at the FG-3 pay level, with salaries ranging from $47,026 to $177,543 depending on location and assignment. The agency says most controllers reach six-figure pay within about three years, and the average certified professional controller earned $158,000 last year. (usajobs.gov) Candidates who make it through the academy will be assigned where staffing needs are greatest, including facilities in all 50 states and United States territories. For this year’s applicants, the clock starts at midnight Eastern on April 17, and the agency is warning people not to wait for the final day. (usajobs.gov, faa.gov)