According to reports posted as “confirmed” on Reddit, nine air traffic controllers at Albuquerque Center have resigned to accept positions with Airservices Australia, the government-owned ATC organization. They will be leaving later this year.
Airservices has posted a recruiting notice on its website soliciting for international controllers with at least five years’ operational experience to join them. An Airservices recruiting video provides insight into the training process, though it focuses on new hires.
For experienced controllers, “Training requirements (duration and location) will be based on individual Training Needs Analysis. Training locations may include Melbourne, Brisbane or Perth and duration can be between one-to-three months, dependent on individual experience,” according to the site.
Hopefully, U.S. controllers who choose to jump at the opportunities among the wallabies Down Under realize that Australian dollars are currently worth roughly $0.64 in U.S. currency. Annual salaries for controllers with five years’ experience, during the training period, start at AU$158,373 (Australian dollars), which is $101,359 U.S. That bumps up to Level 5 when the controller is endorsed following training (Level 5: AU$171,107/$109,508 U.S.- advancing to AU$183,648/$117,535 U.S. with two years’ service with Airservices. More experienced controllers (eight years’ operational experience at hire) can start as high as AU$198,961/$127,335 U.S. per year increasing to AU$227,212/$145,416 U.S. after two years with Airservices Australia. Mandatory retirement age for controllers in Australia is currently 57, with talk of extending that figure.
The initial rumblings of controllers resigning in groups has raised concerns over FAA efforts to shore up its flagging ranks of ATC personnel. Airservices Australia pay scales are roughly comparable. According to Glassdoor, the estimated pay range for all FAA air traffic controllers (which includes new hires, so it’s not apples-to-apples) is $88,000 to $143,000 per year. Average base salary is listed as $112,000 per year, which is roughly in line with Australia’s Level 5.
