AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 53-2021.00
Will AI replace Air Traffic Controllers?
Air Traffic Controllers: AI can already handle 1 of 23 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs a standard-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 23 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Air Traffic Controllers, from most to least exposed. 1 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compile information about flights from flight plans, pilot reports, radar, or observations. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Inform pilots about nearby planes or potentially hazardous conditions, such as weather, speed and direction of wind, or visibility problems. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Maintain radio or telephone contact with adjacent control towers, terminal control units, or other area control centers to coordinate aircraft movement. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Initiate or coordinate searches for missing aircraft. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Organize flight plans or traffic management plans to prepare for planes about to enter assigned airspace. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Review records or reports for clarity and completeness and maintain records or reports, as required under federal law. | Observed | Efficient | |
| Provide on-the-job training to new air traffic controllers. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Direct pilots to runways when space is available or direct them to maintain a traffic pattern until there is space for them to land. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Inspect, adjust, or control radio equipment or airport lights. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Issue landing and take-off authorizations or instructions. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Provide flight path changes or directions to emergency landing fields for pilots traveling in bad weather or in emergency situations. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Transfer control of departing flights to traffic control centers and accept control of arriving flights. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Alert airport emergency services in cases of emergency or when aircraft are experiencing difficulties. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Monitor or direct the movement of aircraft within an assigned air space or on the ground at airports to minimize delays and maximize safety. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Monitor aircraft within a specific airspace, using radar, computer equipment, or visual references. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Direct ground traffic, including taxiing aircraft, maintenance or baggage vehicles, or airport workers. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Contact pilots by radio to provide meteorological, navigational, or other information. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Determine the timing or procedures for flight vector changes. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Check conditions and traffic at different altitudes in response to pilots' requests for altitude changes. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Relay air traffic information, such as courses, altitudes, or expected arrival times, to control centers. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Conduct pre-flight briefings on weather conditions, suggested routes, altitudes, indications of turbulence, or other flight safety information. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Analyze factors such as weather reports, fuel requirements, or maps to determine air routes. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Complete daily activity reports and keep records of messages from aircraft. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 1 of 23 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 22 of 23. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
A standard-tier model or lower covers 34% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 39% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 61% is hands-on.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 22,510
- Median annual wage
- $148,080
- Middle half of earners
- $104,520 to $190,570
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +1.2%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Airfield Operations Specialists 67% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure29
- Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers 61% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure27
- Transportation Planners 60% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure59
- Aviation Inspectors 60% skill overlap, about 15 months to move Exposure27
- Traffic Technicians 59% skill overlap, about 15 months to move Exposure39
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Air Traffic Controllers and AI
Will AI replace Air Traffic Controllers?
AI already handles 1 of the 23 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 26 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +1.2% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Air Traffic Controllers?
26 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 1 of the 23 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 22 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Air Traffic Controllers tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Compile information about flights from flight plans, pilot reports, radar, or observations. It is the only task that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A standard-tier model or lower covers 34% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 61% is hands-on work that no model tier covers. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Air Traffic Controllers, and what do they earn?
22,510 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $148,080 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +1.2% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Air Traffic Controllers. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/air-traffic-controllers
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