Air Traffic Controller vs Physician Assistant: $148K vs $136K Median Pay

Air Traffic Controller vs Physician Assistant: what changes?

Consider Air Traffic Controller if you want to control air traffic on and within vicinity of airport, and movement of air traffic between altitude sectors and control centers, according to established procedures and policies. Consider Physician Assistant if you would rather provide healthcare services typically performed by a physician, under the supervision of a physician. Entry credentials differ: Air Traffic Controller, associate's degree; Physician Assistant, master's degree.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Air Traffic Controller and Physician Assistant. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Air Traffic Controller

National median pay (2025): $148,080
Route into the job: Associate's degree; More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Inform pilots about nearby planes or potentially hazardous conditions, such as weather, speed and direction of wind, or visibility problems.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 2,100

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (24,000 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Air Traffic Controller brief

Physician Assistant

National median pay (2025): $135,880
Route into the job: Master's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Make tentative diagnoses and decisions about management and treatment of patients.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 11,500

Know before you choose

Exposure to illness or infection is a recurring part of the work context, even when safety procedures are followed.

See the full Physician Assistant brief

How the national numbers differ

Physician Assistant has the edge on projected growth

Physician Assistant is at 21.1% projected growth, compared with 1.7% projected growth for Air Traffic Controller.

Physician Assistant has the edge on annual openings

Physician Assistant is at 11,500 annual openings, compared with 2,100 annual openings for Air Traffic Controller.

Typical preparation differs.

Air Traffic Controller: Associate's degree; More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing Physician Assistant: Master's degree Preparation categories do not establish admission difficulty, calendar time, tuition, time without earnings, or licensing difficulty.

Air Traffic Controller has the edge on median pay

Air Traffic Controller is at $148,080, compared with $135,880 for Physician Assistant.

55.2/ 100

Air Traffic Controller

74.2/ 100

Physician Assistant

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Air Traffic Controller vs Physician Assistant

Dimension	Air Traffic Controller	Physician Assistant
Median pay (2025)	$148,080	$135,880
Pay percentile	94.8 percentile	93.3 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	1.7%	21.1%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	2,100	11,500
2025 employment	24,000	168,900
How you qualify	Associate's degree; More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing	Master's degree
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 3	Job Zone 5
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Air Traffic Controller brief Read Physician Assistant brief

Air Traffic Controller vs Physician Assistant: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Air Traffic Controller

Physician Assistant

How the national numbers differ

Physician Assistant has the edge on projected growth

Physician Assistant has the edge on annual openings

Typical preparation differs.

Air Traffic Controller has the edge on median pay

Air Traffic Controller vs Physician Assistant

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