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 2% 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) , Aerospace Engineer (30) , ATC Specialist (29) , ATSS FG-2101 (29) , 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 204 reviews)); "Pay is good but not great unless you are a controller or have been in for a while." ((in 158 reviews)); "Great people that care about aviation and the work they do." ((in 70 reviews)); "Great work/life balance" ((in 58 reviews)); "Good job security if you can tolerate the abuse and toxic environment." ((in 46 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 55 reviews)); "Initial training could be great or it could be terrible depending on your location." ((in 27 reviews)); "bureaucracy Upper management is on their own power trip, often forget to do their actual JOB." ((in 16 reviews)); "Shift work and rotating schedules" ((in 14 reviews)); "Rotating shifts are brutal, stressful, low staffing, no standards, heavy workload at busy facilities." ((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

3.8

71% would recommend to a friend

(1,458 total reviews)

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

68% approve of CEO

50% positive business outlook

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

FAA has an employee rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars, based on 1,458 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).

Reviews by job title

1K reviews

3.0

Sep 16, 2016

Not ready for Prime Time managers

Certified professional controller

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The work is never boring and always changing. No two hours are the same. If you seek the repetitiveness of a desk job then Air Traffic Control at the FAA isn't for you. For the most part the peers you interact with are good people interested in keeping the skies safe.

Cons

There "good ole buddy" systems is still rampant in the FAA. People are selected and promoted based on who they know/knew rather than their qualifications. Upper management will not punish their own no matter bad how they perform. If their actions are bad enough that they should be removed, the FAA will move them to a headquarters job where they will amass staff time for even higher level jobs.

3.0

Sep 15, 2016

Safe and expeditious flow of airplanes.

Air traffic controller

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Money, benefits, job security & telling everyone what to do. Break times are 45 minutes every 45 minutes to an hour and you still get paid for 8 hours.

Cons

You will not be able to have weekends off for nearly 20 years. Not working most of the time you are at "work" can cause high levels of anxiety.

4.0

Aug 31, 2016

Top Flight

Finance manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The FAA proved to be an excellent agency to work for with valuable experience growth on a regular basis. I would recommend working there for anyone who wants a challenge.

Cons

The dynamic nature of the organization structure was confusing sometimes and required a lot of patience to let the changes settle down.

Viewing 175 - 177 of 1,458 Reviews

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DIRECT HIRE - Aviation Safety Inspector (Air Carrier Flight Oversight)

DIRECT HIRE - Aviation Safety Inspector (General Aviation Flight Oversight)

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Air Traffic Control Specialist (Direct Hire Enhanced CTI Program/E-CTI)

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Not ready for Prime Time managers

Safe and expeditious flow of airplanes.

Top Flight

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