SOC 53-2021 · Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro

Air Traffic Controllers Salary in Virginia Beach, VA

The average salary for air traffic controllers in Virginia Beach, Virginia is $115,560 a year ($55.56 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $119,230: half of the 90 people in this job in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 21% less than the U.S. average for this job ($146,490).

$115,560average per year

$55.56 / hourMedian $119,230Take-home ≈ $84,296

  • $85K10th
  • $102K25th
  • $119KMedian
  • $131K75th
  • $149K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

90people in this job
-21%vs U.S. average
98cost of living (U.S. = 100)
Advertisement

Air Traffic Controllers pay range in Virginia Beach

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $84,740 a year or less, while the top 10% make $148,700 or more. The middle half of air traffic controllers in Virginia Beach earn between $101,880 and $130,710.

  • $85K10th
  • $102K25th
  • $119KMedian
  • $131K75th
  • $149K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$115,560$9,630$55.56
Median$119,230$9,936$57.32
Entry level (25th percentile)$101,880$8,490$48.98
Experienced (75th percentile)$130,710$10,892$62.84

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Air Traffic Controllers pay in Virginia Beach vs. Virginia and the U.S.

Air traffic controllers in Virginia Beach earn 34% less than the Virginia average ($175,740) and 21% less than the U.S. average ($146,490). At the median the gap is -19% against the U.S. median of $148,080.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Virginia Beach$115,560$119,230$84,740$148,70090
Virginia$175,740$191,820$94,330$225,6801,120
United States$146,490$148,080$78,420$215,61022,510

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Air Traffic Controllers salary after taxes in Virginia Beach

On the average salary of $115,560, a single filer in Virginia Beach takes home about $84,296 a year, or $7,025 a month and $3,242 every two weeks. Taxes take 27% of gross pay.

The Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in NC$86,024$7,169
Working in VA$84,296$7,025

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).

Virginia paycheck calculator: try your own salary

Advertisement

Is Virginia Beach a good place for air traffic controllers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Virginia Beach area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.9), so the average $115,560 buys what about $117,989 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Virginia Beach ($49,430). A typical home costs $373,678, or 3.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $115,560 is worth in another city

Air Traffic Controllers salary in nearby metro areas

Highest-paying cities for air traffic controllers

San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($179,320).

Air Traffic Controllers salary by city

Advertisement

Does this match what you are paid?

Anonymous, no account. Results update as visitors answer.

Share your pay anonymously

Reviewed before it counts. Air Traffic Controllers in Virginia Beach, VA.

Air Traffic Controllers salary in Virginia Beach: questions

How much do air traffic controllers make an hour in Virginia Beach?

$55.56 an hour on average, and $57.32 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level air traffic controllers salary in Virginia Beach?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $84,740 a year and the 25th percentile is $101,880, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the air traffic controllers take-home pay in Virginia Beach?

About $84,296 a year ($7,025 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $115,560.

Do air traffic controllers earn more in Virginia Beach than elsewhere?

The average here is 21% less than the U.S. average for this job ($146,490).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 53-2021; area Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC (47260). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.5%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.84, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.