Airservices Australia's air traffic controllers are due a 3.4% base pay rise on 7 October 2026, the last scheduled increase under their 2024-2027 enterprise agreement. A newly licensed Level 1 controller goes from $121,435 to $125,564, and the top of the scale, Level 10, from $235,580 to $243,589.
Controller base salaries, before and after the 3.4% rise
| What changed | Before | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Ab Initio Trainee | $62,280 | $64,398 |
| Field Trainee | $89,218 | $92,251 |
| Level 1 | $121,435 | $125,564 |
| Level 5 | $177,609 | $183,648 |
| Level 10 | $235,580 | $243,589 |
| UTS | $257,391 | $266,142 |
Where the 3.4% comes from
The Airservices Australia (Air Traffic Control and Supporting Air Traffic Services) Enterprise Agreement 2024-2027 was approved by the Fair Work Commission on 30 September 2024 and operates from 7 October 2024. Its salary table (Attachment 1) has three columns: a 4% rise on commencement, 3.8% after 12 months and 3.4% after 24 months. The “24 months” column falls due on 7 October 2026. The table does not name the pay period in which it is first paid, so check your payslip for the first full period after that date.
The rise applies to every controller classification in the table, from ab initio trainees to the supervisor grades. On top of the pay rise, controllers from Level 1 still move up one level a year to Level 10 if they meet the licence, medical and training conditions in clause 27.3 — so a controller who also progresses a level gets both.
What it means after tax
For a Level 1 controller the rise is worth $4,129 a year before tax. On 2026-27 rates, take-home pay goes from about $92,055 to $94,864 a year — about $108 more a fortnight — before penalty rates, overtime and allowances, which depend on roster and location. Under the agreement, overtime is paid at 1.90 times the hourly rate.
Staffing pressure and the next agreement
The rise comes as Airservices is under pressure over controller staffing. On 23 September 2026 The Australian and Australian Aviation reported that it would offer controllers an enhanced overtime incentive for short-notice shifts over the school holidays, to reduce delays. The current agreement reaches its nominal expiry date on 7 October 2027; salaries after that depend on a replacement agreement.
The full classification table, trainee pay and allowances are on our air traffic controller salary page, and the pilot salary page covers airline pilots. Work out your own figure with the pay rise calculator or the take-home pay calculator.