air traffic controller

avionics engineer

safety engineer

mechanical engineer

engineer

Federal Aviation Administration

As an engineer in the FAA you're tasked to design and manage construction projects relating to wide array of aviation related equipment and facilities.  Equipment projects can range from radar sites, radio sites, Approach Lighting Systems, Instrument Landing Systems, weather reporting systems, and many others all of which directly aid in the safe operation of aircraft in the National Aerospace System.  Many of these systems are located on airports all throughout the country while some are located at remote sites off airport property.  Facility construction can range from Air Traffic Control Tower projects, to medium ATC facilities (TRACON's) and Long Range ATC facilities (ARTCC's).

My job as a resident engineer in the FAA is to oversee construction of Navaids projects (e.g. approach lighting systems, and instrument landing systems, all of which serve to guide aircraft safely to the runway via visual and instrument cues).  Our design engineers develop the project scope and construction drawings and then a hand off is made to the construction group to oversee the project execution.  My job requires me to oversee contractor performance directly from the field from start to finish on each project.  The projects I worked on could range from several weeks to several months.  Large scale projects such as ATCT projects or facility renovations could last up to a few years.  Each project provides you an opportunity to travel throughout the US while getting paid for it.  They divide the CONUS up into 9 geographical regions so you typically only travel across one section of the US.  My region was the New England region so I typically traveled only to sites in that area, however there's some overlap between regions depending on workloads as I've completed projects in several mid-Atlantic states as well.  Jobs on the construction side are advertised at 75% - 90% travel.  Whenever not on a project you're expected to show up at one of the 9 regional offices to complete any office work that may linger between projects.  Design engineers are permanently stationed at the offices as the bulk of their work can be completed there with only periodic site survey trips to airports needed during the design phase of each project.  Design engineers typically are on the road less than 25% of the year.

At the end of the day an engineering position in the FAA is a great career.  You'll most likely earn more money in the private sector however you'll work more hours (FAA positions are hourly with anything over 40 hrs / week earning Time and  Half pay) and there will be less job security.  FAA also offers great health insurance benefits and a pension.  If you don't mind traveling and you have a passion for aviation this is definitely the job for you.  I didn't even have a strong passion for aviation once I first started but it has grown immensely over the years.  I'm now working towards my Private Pilot's License in my free time.  

As with any job not everything is perfect and the one downside worth noting is the seemingly annual potential for government shutdowns.  Although it can be nerve-racking being sent home for an extended period of time with no paycheck and no sense of when politics will subside and the shutdown will be lifted in the end FAA employees have to my knowledge always received back pay upon returning to work.  I'd recommend keeping to emergency fund available just to cover any living expenses in the meantime.  I should note that we're also eligible for unemployment during government shutdowns should you choose to apply for it.

Overall great job and definitely worth taking a look whenever we're hiring.

The typical day in DC is pretty much meetings about meetings about having more meetings. Rarely anything meaningful and/or purposeful comes out of them, unfortunately. This is especially the case when you're on the annual brink of furlough that happens every September. Majority of the upper management is apathetic, useless, & will delegate everything, including most of the decision making. They are habitually out of touch with anything going on beneath them. If you happen to find a Federal work environment that has a good balance of proactive/active, in-touch management, provides hands-on work opportunities offering a balance of both hard & soft skill development, along with working within a balanced, complimentary team, then your everyday work experience will be rewarding, at least. However, keep in mind that this mixture is INCREDIBLY RARE within the Federal work environment. Moreover, work groups that have this innate rarity will often times get separated and/or distilled without warning or reason. So, if you can find that rare group and/or let alone help keep it intact, then you have found a true treasure, my friend. However, even with that, the business of the Government and how it is conducted can and will make things overly difficult often times. Other than that, the pay and benefits are decent. Work-life balance is fair, but will be contingent on managerial temperament and discretion. So, all on all, just depends on what cards you're dealt. There are some incredibly intelligent, talented, genuine people that work here and can really make a difference, but they are often times grinded to burnout, misused/misaligned and few, far, and in between. So, if you are interested in working in the Federal workplace, go for it but approach with caution.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Besides the job security and benefits, it is a chance to provide an incredibly important public service...ensuring the safety of the flying public.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Air Traffic Control is very stressful because you are dealing with life or death situations 24/7. You must be able to work multiple aircraft simultaneously, all doing different things, and react correctly when problems occur, WX deviations, incorrect readbacks, aircraft emergencies, etc.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Overall it is excellent. Type A personalities typically do the best.  One needs thick skin, there is a lot of teasing and criticism, which (in my opinion) is necessary because mistakes can, and have , resulted in fatalities. 
Another positive is the opportunities for upward mobility. I was one of over 14,000 hired right after the PATCO strike of 1981 and worked my way from a beginning controller to a Director of Operations, a position third from the top in an organization of over 18,000 employees.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
As a controller, in an 8hr. day a fully certified controller averages about 4hrs working position, and the other 4hrs on break or "other duties." 

As a manager, one does not take breaks, and days are often much longer than 8hrs. Almost all of that is by choice, it's called dedication to the mission.

The FAA is a federal job, with all the good and bad that comes with that.  We are at the mercy of D.C. and we are a top heavy organization and some of the rules make you scratch your head.  This is partly due the fact that we are govt, and partly just a matter of size.  Not all parts of the organization are as good to work at as others.  I would not work in Air Traffic.

At the local level, most people on the maintenance side are committed professionals and care about their equipment and the service we provide.  For the most part, you are given a responsibility and expected to perform.  You are mostly free to arrange your work schedule.  

When a service goes down, there is a high emphasis on getting it back up and running as quickly as possible.  This can be stressfull.  The good news is that there is usually a back up system, so if only the main is out, there is stress, but it is much less.

The FAA provides training on their equipment.  You are not expected or even allowed to work on a system you haven't been trained on.  The bad news is that not all of the training is as good as I would hope.  Still, there is training and second and third level technical support.

The FAA broke away from the OPM rules several years ago.  This frees them from some rules (and protections) that are in place for most federal jobs.  They have reduced the wage scale for newer employees, so the truth is that newer employees will never make what the guys retiring are making.  It is still a good agency and job.

What is the best part of working at the company?
As an ex EnRoute CPC and NATCA member, it was the best career.  The professionalism was like none other and everyone worked hard, to keep everyone safe, with every breath we took.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Shift work and the politicalization of this job. It should never be concerned with money. Never. However it has and now, the staffing is half of what was, 20 years ago. The traffic was picked up, shifts extended and the lack of mental help, has driven the earlier retirement sooner. It has been documented since the 1970's. Do the research and one will see.  The fact that the Flight Surgeon, refuses to take in modern technology and refuse the accept that mental health is a problem, is the major problem all together. The fact that controllers fear the Flight Surgeon, is a problem. Change is needed. I know of 5 controllers who committed suicide. It's a problem. We need help.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Loved the brothers and sisters that I worked with, day and night.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Walking down the halls, hearing all the transmissions. Going to the red binder, getting your briefing, checking weather and observing the status information board of what Is open and what is closed. say good morning to your mates and let the adventures begin with every transmission.

I loved working at the FAA and wanted to finish out my career with them as a federal employee.  I enjoyed the work we did, it was engaging, fast paced, dynamic, important, exciting, and promoted safety, security, and competition for the flying public.  The teams and personnel were all highly skilled, capable professionals that I truly enjoyed working with.  However, the salary compensation wasn't favorable for certain employees.  The problem is that the FAA bases their offer on your previous salary, regardless of how high or low it is, and whether the person was underpaid or overpaid. It casts people with similar skillsets and experience into wildly different pay scales unfortunately.  I was one of those people that had a low intro offer based on a low paying county salary prior to coming on with the FAA.  Against my wishes to remain a federal employee, I had to leave the FAA to the private consulting sector  in search of a more competitive and equitable salary.   I may go back someday, but only if I can receive fair and equitable compensation commensurate to my job qualifications and experience.

The Tech Center is a great place to work with varied projects coming and going in and out of the labs. I started out here as a Cad drafter for the engineering dept. drawing plans for new labs coming in and redesigning labs here and at the radar sites. I've met a lot of people with various backgrounds.. some good, some bad. I was able to pick up extra work when it was slow in the space management group and then extra work as a property delegate for our engineering dept. fast forward.. money cuts= positions cut. My position was cut however, I was picked up on another contract and was allowed to expand my workload even more. I now track, add and excess and resolve issues on millions of dollars worth of assets nationwide. I am the go to for research and questions on property procedures.
I enjoy research and resolving issues that have been stagnate for years. The hardest part of my job is discovering misuse or mishandling of assets, non compliance with federal standards and procedures or processing. This causing millions and millions of dollars of equip. unrecorded and unaccounted for, most don't care because it has gone on for years-there is lack of accountability.

The Federal Aviation Administration has been amazing.  No other Agency, that I know of, adapts to technological changes as fast as the FAA or collaborates with their employees like the FAA.

The work in itself is rewarding every single day.  The constant conflict resolution and producing a clean product is something that every air traffic controller can take pride in.  It is a team effort!

The personalities that come with this job are fun, high energy, and my peers (we are like family) work together and know how to get the job done!

The inherent conflicts that come with air traffic are different every minute of every hour of every day.  This is by far one of the most exciting careers.

The Con, and reason I am searching for a new career:::

-The downside is that although the Agency had originally presented itself as having the option to move around the country in due time, transferring to another facility has now become extremely difficult / next to impossible. 
I have been trying for about 11 years to move from California to Boston, and these are now the measures I must take. It's unfortunate because I absolutely love what I do.

- A typical day in the office would consist of ensuring that all correspondence is correct for business owners that provide parts and services in the transportation industry to view and comprehend all over the world
- Personally have learned how to recognize important verbiage from inspectors/clients that requires immediate attention
- Have obtained knowledge of how to be most effective with different types of Managers to provide the best outcomes at the end of the day
- Learned that workplace culture varies from agency to agency depending on what group of professionals that you are communicating and work with
- The FAA is very competitive organization.  The hardest part of my job is making sure that everyone’s work that is given to me is done in a timely manner
- The most enjoyable part of my job is the satisfaction of knowing that  the work that I produce for my team is acceptable, which in turn provides a positive work environment

A typical day at work: As an air traffic controller at Lakefront New Orleans Airport, my days were fast-paced and required constant vigilance. I managed aircraft movements, coordinated with pilots and ground crews, and ensured safe and efficient air traffic flow.

What I learned: I developed exceptional multitasking, problem-solving, and communication skills. I also gained extensive experience in high-pressure decision-making and situational awareness.

Management: Leadership provided clear expectations and supported professional growth. Collaboration between controllers and management was essential to maintaining safety and efficiency.

Workplace culture: The environment was high-stakes but built on teamwork and trust. Controllers relied on each other to maintain safety and operational effectiveness.

The hardest part of the job: Managing multiple aircraft in rapidly changing conditions while maintaining precision and composure was the most challenging aspect.

The most enjoyable part of the job: The satisfaction of safely guiding aircraft, working in a dynamic environment, and the camaraderie among controllers made the job highly rewarding.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Air traffic controller 4 salaries reported	$139,500 per year
Avionics engineer 12 salaries reported	$117,038 per year
Safety engineer 4 salaries reported	$96,875 per year
Mechanical engineer 4 salaries reported	$97,500 per year
Engineer 10 salaries reported	$118,914 per year

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