Air Traffic Assistance
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Air Traffic Assistance occupation series (code 2154), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
In the Transportation Group family, Air Traffic Assistance counts 212 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 0.5% from the prior period; pay averages $84,118, which pays below the federal-wide $117,339.
- Employees
- 212
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $84,118
- Avg tenure
- 14.7 yrs
What the Numbers Say About Air Traffic Assistance
As of the June 2026 reporting window, 212 people work in the Air Traffic Assistance occupation (OPM code 2154) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 1,953,300-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved up by 0.5% from the prior period, though at this small a headcount, year-to-year swings can reflect a handful of hires or departures rather than a broad hiring trend.
Average tenure in Air Traffic Assistance runs 14.7 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages $84,118 per year, up 0.8% from the prior period, a modest shift, consistent with routine locality pay and grade-level movement.
Air Traffic Assistance sits inside the Transportation Group family (code 21), which contains 20 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Air Traffic Assistance postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Transportation Group family.
Inside the Transportation Group family (20 occupations, 42,428 employees combined), Air Traffic Assistance holds the #12 spot by headcount, a 0.5% share of the family total.
Salary Context
How Air Traffic Assistance pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$84,118
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-28.3%
Where Air Traffic Assistance ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $84,118 is higher than 40% of federal occupation series (218 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Air Traffic Assistance sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Air Traffic Assistance ranks higher than 40%.
Related Occupations in Transportation Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Traffic Control | 21,627 | $153,037 | 13.7 yrs |
| Transportation Specialist | 8,313 | $123,621 | 16.6 yrs |
| Transportation Clerk and Assistant | 2,525 | $55,598 | 11.3 yrs |
| Aircraft Operation | 2,432 | $149,284 | 15.2 yrs |
| Transportation Operations | 1,900 | $105,349 | 16.3 yrs |
| Traffic Management | 1,400 | $119,205 | 15.8 yrs |
| Dispatching | 1,378 | $58,047 | 10.9 yrs |
| Technical Systems Program Manager | 672 | $191,580 | 24.5 yrs |
| Railroad Safety | 497 | $119,966 | 14.1 yrs |
| Motor Carrier Safety | 467 | $94,322 | 12 yrs |
Nationwide occupation series with similar scale or pay
Two peer sets for Air Traffic Assistance outside the Transportation Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (212 here).
Similar average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($84,118 here).
Key takeaways
- Air Traffic Assistance pays below the federal average by 28.3% ($84,118 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 40th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 212 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 0.5% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Air Traffic Assistance ranks #403 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Inside the Transportation Group family (20 occupations, 42,428 employees combined), Air Traffic Assistance holds the #12 spot by headcount, a 0.5% share of the family total.
OPM FedScope and Federal Workforce Data figures are federal civilian headcounts, average salaries, and length-of-service statistics - not job-quality scores, hiring advice, or a live vacancy listing. A larger or higher-paid agency is not a better employer.