Air traffic controller salary: what you actually take home after tax and Medicare

What is an air traffic controller salary?

If you are looking at a career in air traffic control, the air traffic controller salary is one of the most attractive parts of the job. Airservices Australia, the government-owned provider of air navigation services, publishes a detailed classification and base salary table as part of its enterprise agreement. The figures are updated annually and show clear progression from trainee through to senior specialist roles.

According to the Airservices Australia Air Traffic Control Classification Base Salary 2024–2027, a new ab initio trainee starts at $60,000 per year. After 12 months that rises to $62,280, and after 24 months to $64,398. Field trainees – those who have moved to an operational unit – start at $85,952 and reach $92,251 after two years. Once you qualify as a controller, you enter the Level 1 classification at $116,990, and from there you can progress through ten levels. A Level 5 controller, for example, earns $171,107 on commencement, while a Level 10 controller earns $226,955. Senior roles such as Centre Surveillance Supervisor (CSS) or Unit Training Supervisor (UTS) attract $247,968. The top grandfathered roles (SY TTCU and SY CSS/Supervisor) pay up to $266,901, though these classifications are closed to new employees from 1 July 2025.

These figures are base salaries only. They do not include the 12% employer superannuation guarantee that applies from 1 July 2026, nor do they account for shift penalties, overtime, or location allowances. Air traffic controllers work 24/7 rosters, and your roster can include evening, night, weekend and public holiday work, which may attract additional loadings. The enterprise agreement sets out the specific penalty rates.

What you actually take home

Your take-home pay – the amount that reaches your bank account each fortnight – is the base salary minus income tax and the Medicare levy. Super is not deducted from your pay if the job advertisement says “plus super”; it is paid on top by your employer. To work out your net pay, you need to apply the 2026–27 resident tax rates.

For the 2026–27 tax year, the rates are:

• Nil on the first $18,200
• 15c per dollar from $18,201 to $45,000
• 30c per dollar from $45,001 to $135,000
• 37c per dollar from $135,001 to $190,000
• 45c per dollar over $190,000

You also pay the Medicare levy of 2% of your taxable income. There is no Medicare levy surcharge for single people earning below $28,011 (the lower threshold). Between $28,011 and $35,013 the levy is phased in at 10c per dollar over the lower threshold. Above $35,013 you pay the full 2% applies to the entire taxable income. Because air traffic controller salaries are well above these thresholds, you will pay the full 2% Medicare levy on your entire income.

Example: Level 5 controller at $171,107

Using the 2026–27 tax rates, the tax on $171,107 is:

• $4,020 on the first $45,000
• 30c on the next $90,000 = $27,000
• 37c on the remaining $36,107 = $13,359.59
• Total tax = $44,379.59
• Medicare levy = 2% × $171,107 = $3,422.14
• Total deductions = $47,801.73
• Annual take-home = $171,107 – $47,801.73 = $123,305.27
• Fortnightly take-home ≈ $4,742.51

This is an estimate. It does not include the Low Income Tax Offset (which phases out well below this income) or any HELP/HECS repayments, salary sacrifice, or the Medicare levy surcharge. Your actual withholding may differ slightly due to payroll tax-table rounding.

How the salary compares to other benchmarks

To give you perspective, the national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour and $1,004.90 per week, or about $52,255 per year. The average full-time adult ordinary time earnings in Australia are $2,083.70 per week, or $108,352 per year, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. An air traffic controller at Level 1 ($116,990) already exceeds that average. At Level 5 you are well above the average, and at senior levels you are among the highest-paid professionals in the country.

Jobs and Skills Australia reports that there are about 1,600 air traffic controllers employed nationally, with a median age of 41 and a female share of 17%. Most work full-time (83%), averaging 38 hours per week. The industry is predominantly Transport, Postal and Warehousing, with some in Public Administration and Safety.

What to watch for in job ads

When you see a job advertisement for an air traffic controller, the salary figure is almost always quoted as “base salary” or “total remuneration package”. The base salary is the cash component before tax. The total package includes the base plus employer super (12% from 1 July 2026). Some ads may also include a “market loading” or “attraction and retention allowance”. Always check whether the figure is base or package. If it says “$180,000 plus super”, that means the base is $180,000 and super is on top. If it says “$180,000 total package”, the base is about $160,714 and super is the rest.

Your take-home pay will be lower than the base salary because of tax and Medicare. Use a Take-home pay calculator or the Clearance tool to estimate your fortnightly deposit. Remember that super is not deducted from your pay – it is an extra cost to your employer.