FAA Air Traffic Control Specialist Hiring and the ATSA (US)

The Federal Aviation Administration hires entry-level air traffic controllers through announcements on USAJOBS. The FAA lists these minimum qualifications: be a United States citizen, be under the age of 31, pass a medical examination, pass a security investigation, pass the FAA air traffic pre-employment tests including the Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA), speak English clearly enough to be understood over communications equipment, and have one year of progressively responsible work experience, a Bachelor's degree, or a combination of post-secondary education and work experience that totals one year. The ATSA is an entry-level employment aptitude assessment made up of several subtests, taken in person at a Pearson VUE test centre by candidates the FAA invites after their application is found qualified. Entry-level applicants who are hired spend several months at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City and are then placed at a facility for on-the-job training.