Does FAA pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, FAA employees rate their compensation and benefits as 4.1 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at FAA. This rating has decreased by 1% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at FAA?

71% of FAA employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated FAA 3.6 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.6 for culture and values and 3.7 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at FAA?

Air Traffic Control Specialist (153) , Air Traffic Controller (122) , Airway Transportation Systems Specialist (47) , Aviation Safety Inspector (40) , Management and Program Analyst (33) , ATC Specialist (29) , Aerospace Engineer (29) , ATSS FG-2101 (28) , Intern (24) , Engineer (23) , Civil Engineer (20) , Program Manager (20) , Manager (17) , Air Traffic Controller Trainee (14) , Computer Specialist (14)

What are the pros of working at FAA according to real employee reviews?

"benefits are great and day to day work is great" ((in 199 reviews)); "Pay is good but not great unless you are a controller or have been in for a while." ((in 148 reviews)); "Great people that care about aviation and the work they do." ((in 69 reviews)); ""Job security" is great and once you know what you are supposed to do you can then explore other areas or job functions." ((in 58 reviews)); "Good work environment and welfare place." ((in 33 reviews))

What are the cons of working at FAA according to real employee reviews?

"Management is incompetent and often take the path of least resistance to progress their own careers." ((in 54 reviews)); "Initial training could be great or it could be terrible depending on your location." ((in 20 reviews)); "bureaucracy Upper management is on their own power trip, often forget to do their actual JOB." ((in 16 reviews)); "I had seen where other reviews pointed out poor leadership caused by people being promoted due to poor performance." ((in 13 reviews)); "Shift work or rotating schedule." ((in 13 reviews))

What are employees saying about FAA layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about FAA layoffs and their outlook for job security at FAA in 2026.

FAA reviews

Compare reviews

3.8

71% would recommend to a friend

(1,455 total reviews)

Pete Buttigieg | Michael G. Whitaker | Kathryn “Katie” Thomson

68% approve of CEO

50% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.1

Compensation and benefits

3.8

Diversity & inclusion

3.7

Career opportunities

3.6

Culture & values

3.6

Work/Life balance

3.3

Senior management

FAA has an employee rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars, based on 1,455 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The FAA employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Gobierno y administración pública industry (3.6 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

1K reviews

3.0

Sep 19, 2025

Training program could have been much better

Air traffic controller trainee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Nice training facilities Some instructors are helpful

Cons

Needs to give trainees more time in training labs Some instructors are unhelpful and even abusive

3.0

Sep 10, 2025

FAA Manager's Boys Club

Engineering technician

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Clean working conditions 90% of time. Paid Govt holidays. Direct Deposit always on time. Lots of overtime if you're part of the manager's Boys Club

Cons

Sr. manager has son working directly for him and ALL Sr. management was aware of this. Nepotism is rampant in Environmental Services & Boys Club is expected. Little if any overtime if you're not part of the manager's Boy's Club. Choice of days (i.e. Sundays & Holidays) when the overtime pays best. Age discrimination, done in private so no witnesses. Most of Environmental Services are relatives & friends.

4.0

Sep 9, 2025

Secure and Steady

Electrical engineer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Secure. Besides the gossip of layoffs recently, the FAA is secure and the work is steady. The work life balance is amazing. I hardly have to take work home or worry too much about work outside of work.

Cons

Difficult to move up due to the security and not many people leaving. Government shutdowns are always in the news and it usually used as a political chip.

Viewing 46 - 48 of 1,455 Reviews

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Training program could have been much better

FAA Manager's Boys Club

Secure and Steady

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