NOC 2021 · 72601 · TEER 2
NOC 72601: Air traffic controllers and related occupations
Official NOC 2021, Job Bank and IRCC data · checked 21 October 2026
Air traffic controllers direct air traffic within assigned airspace, and control moving aircraft and service vehicles at airports. Flight service specialists provide pilots with flight information essential to aviation safety. Flight dispatchers authorize airline flights over assigned routes. Air traffic controllers and flight service specialists are employed by NAV Canada and the Canadian Forces. Flight dispatchers are employed by airline and air services companies and by the Canadian Forces.
TEER
TEER 2
Usually needs a college diploma, an apprenticeship of 2 or more years, or supervisory work
Median wage (Canada)
$54.88 / hour
Job Bank, 2024
High-wage tier (from 3 Nov 2026)
Tier 2
+40 CRS for Canadian work, or 70 for a job offer
Express Entry categories
None
General and program draws only
Express Entry
How NOC 72601 counts for Express Entry
- Federal Skilled Worker: eligible occupationNeeds 1 year of continuous skilled (TEER 0–3) work in the last 10 years and 67 points on the FSW grid.
- Canadian Experience Class: eligible occupationNeeds 1 year of skilled (TEER 0–3) work in Canada in the last 3 years.
- Federal Skilled Trades: not eligibleNeeds 2 years of work in an eligible trade group in the last 5 years, plus a job offer or a Canadian certificate of qualification.
High-wage CRS points
NOC 72601 is in tier 2 of IRCC's high-wage list, in effect from 3 November 2026.
| 12+ months of Canadian work | +40 points on top of work-length points |
|---|---|
| Qualifying job offer (no LMIA) | 70 points |
You get whichever option scores higher, not both.
See all 186 high-wage occupationsCategory-based draws
NOC 72601 is not on any of IRCC's 2026 occupation categories. You can still be invited through general, program-specific or French-language draws.
IRCC category listsDuties
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Air traffic controllers
- Control flow of air traffic within assigned airspace using radar monitors, radio and other communication equipment and visual references
- Issue aircraft takeoff and landing instructions to pilots and relay meteorological, navigational and other information to pilots in flight
- Maintain radio and telephone contact with adjacent control towers, terminal control units and other area control centres, and coordinate movement of aircraft into adjoining areas
- Alert airport emergency services when aircraft are experiencing difficulties and report missing aircraft to search and rescue services
- Direct activities of all moving aircraft and service vehicles on or near airport runways.
- Flight service specialists
- Provide pre-flight information concerning current and forecast weather conditions, radio frequencies, terrain, airports and related data to assist pilots in preparation of flight plans
- Check flight plans for completeness and accuracy and forward flight plans to air traffic services facility
- Respond to radio calls from aircraft preparing for takeoff or landing and supply information such as weather conditions, wind speed and direction and presence of local air traffic
- Support air traffic control operations by relaying radio requests for flight clearances, arrival and departure information and position reports
- Alert airport emergency services of aircraft experiencing difficulties and initiate communication searches when aircraft become overdue
- Observe, record and report weather conditions at airports.
- Flight dispatchers
- Analyze environmental conditions and assess aircraft for load and fuel capacity and other factors to determine flight routes
- Brief flight crew before takeoff on weather conditions, status of navigational facilities and airports while on route
- Co-sign flight authorization with aircraft captain
- Monitor progress of flight and communicate as required with aircraft during flight
- Delay or cancel flights if conditions warrant
- Prepare and maintain flight plans, flight logs and other reports.
For Express Entry, your experience must match the lead statement and most of these duties, not only the job title.
Job titles
Example job titles
- air traffic controller (ATC)
- airport air traffic controller
- enroute air traffic controller
- flight dispatcher
- flight service specialist (FSS)
- instrument flight rules air traffic controller
- terminal air traffic controller
- visual flight rules air traffic controller
All 20 job titles in NOC 72601
- aerospace control operator - Canadian Armed Forces
- air traffic control assistant
- air traffic control chief
- air traffic control officer
- air traffic controller (ATC)
- air traffic controller (ATC) - Canadian Armed Forces
- air traffic coordinator
- airline dispatcher
- airport air traffic controller
- chief air traffic controller
- enroute air traffic controller
- flight dispatch assistant
- flight dispatcher
- flight operations officer
- flight service specialist (FSS)
- head air traffic controller
- instrument flight rules air traffic controller
- terminal air traffic controller
- tower controller - air traffic
- visual flight rules air traffic controller
Requirements
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school is required.
- A basic radio telephone operator's licence is required.
- Air traffic controllers and flight service specialists require completion of a NAV Canada training program which includes structured in-class and on-the-job training.
- Air traffic controllers require an air traffic controller's licence.
- Flight dispatchers may require experience in air traffic control or flight operations and may require a private pilot's licence.
Additional information
- Air traffic controllers with experience and appropriate NAV Canada endorsements may move to units with higher volumes of air traffic.
This occupation may be regulated in some provinces. You may need a licence or certificate from the provincial regulator before you can work in it in Canada, even if you hold permanent residence.
Wages
Wages for NOC 72601 in Canada
Low, median and high wages per hour in Canadian dollars, from ESDC Job Bank's 2025 wage data.
| Region | Low | Median | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $25.25 | $54.88 | $106.19 | Small Area Estimation, 2024 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $35.70 | $70.70 | $107.83 | Small Area Estimation, 2024 |
| Nova Scotia | $26.64 | $44.88 | $70.56 | Small Area Estimation, 2024 |
| New Brunswick | $39.08 | $75.19 | $103.00 | Small Area Estimation, 2024 |
| Quebec | $26.85 | $47.84 | $83.21 | Small Area Estimation, 2024 |
| Ontario | $27.38 | $52.96 | $101.19 | Small Area Estimation, 2024 |
| Manitoba | $31.95 | $64.29 | $105.26 | Small Area Estimation, 2024 |
| Saskatchewan | $30.30 | $43.91 | $67.39 | Small Area Estimation, 2024 |
| Alberta | $27.31 | $56.72 | $98.93 | Small Area Estimation, 2024 |
| British Columbia | $29.87 | $54.95 | $97.61 | Small Area Estimation, 2024 |
Provinces with too little data are not shown. Wages vary by city and employer; see Job Bank for regional figures.
Job outlook
Job outlook by province, 2025–2027
Job Bank rates the 3-year outlook as good or very good in Manitoba, Alberta.
GoodManitoba
The employment outlook will be Good for air traffic controllers and related occupations (NOC 72601) in Manitoba for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment growth will lead to a few new positions.
Not many positions will become available due to retirements.
There are a moderate number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
This occupation is driven by demand for commercial and business air travel, as well as a relatively high training drop-out rate.
This occupation often operates in a high-pressure environment with long hours and rotating shift work.
NAV Canada's Fatigue Risk Management System is set up to maintain safety by ensuring the well-being of air traffic controllers. Temporary tower closures in Winnipeg have been required when only one controller is on duty. This ensures that mandatory breaks are observed.
Key trends for this occupation include artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) integration to predict traffic pattern and support real-time decisions. Automation of routine tasks is allowing
Here are some key facts about air traffic controllers and related occupations in Manitoba:
Approximately 350 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
Air traffic controllers and related occupations mainly work in the following sectors:
Other transportation and warehousing (NAICS 482-483, 486, 487, 493): 76%
Air transportation (NAICS 481): 17%
Federal government public administration (NAICS 911): 7%
80% of air traffic controllers and related occupations work all year, while 20% work only part of the year, compared to 65% and 35% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 47 weeks compared to 43 weeks for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 83% compared to 53% for all occupations
Women: 17% compared to 47% for all occupations
The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
no high school diploma: n/a
high school diploma or equivalent: 28% compared to 31% for all occupations
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 14% compared to 12% for all occupations
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 22% compared to 17% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 32% compared to 20% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: n/a
GoodAlberta
The employment outlook will be Good for air traffic controllers and related occupations (NOC 72601) in Alberta for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment growth will lead to several new positions.
Not many positions will become available due to retirements.
There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
Here are some key facts about air traffic controllers and related occupations in Alberta:
Approximately 600 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
Air traffic controllers and related occupations mainly work in the following sectors:
Other transportation and warehousing (NAICS 482-483, 486, 487, 493): 62%
Air transportation (NAICS 481): 31%
Federal government public administration (NAICS 911): 7%
79% of air traffic controllers and related occupations work all year, while 21% work only part of the year, compared to 61% and 39% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 46 weeks compared to 42 weeks for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 71% compared to 53% for all occupations
Women: 28% compared to 47% for all occupations
The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
no high school diploma: n/a
high school diploma or equivalent: 36% compared to 28% for all occupations
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 16% compared to 13% for all occupations
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 22% compared to 19% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 26% compared to 21% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: n/a
ModerateNew Brunswick
The employment outlook will be Moderate for air traffic controllers and related occupations (NOC 72601) in New Brunswick for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment growth will lead to a moderate number of new positions.
Not many positions will become available due to retirements.
There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
Here are some key facts about air traffic controllers and related occupations in New Brunswick:
Approximately 150 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
Air traffic controllers and related occupations mainly work in the following sectors:
Scenic and sightseeing transportation and support activities for transportation (NAICS 487-488): 93%
81% of air traffic controllers and related occupations work all year, while 19% work only part of the year, compared to 62% and 38% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 48 weeks compared to 42 weeks for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 88% compared to 52% for all occupations
Women: 13% compared to 48% for all occupations
The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
no high school diploma: n/a
high school diploma or equivalent: 31% compared to 30% for all occupations
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 15% compared to 12% for all occupations
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 28% compared to 23% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 26% compared to 16% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: n/a
ModerateQuebec
The employment outlook will be Moderate for air traffic controllers and related occupations (NOC 72601) in Quebec for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment growth will lead to several new positions.
Not many positions will become available due to retirements.
There are a moderate number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
Here are some key facts about air traffic controllers and related occupations in Quebec:
Approximately 750 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
Air traffic controllers and related occupations mainly work in the following sectors:
Other transportation and warehousing (NAICS 482-483, 485-486, 487, 493): 50%
Air transportation (NAICS 481): 40%
Federal government public administration (NAICS 911): 8%
77% of air traffic controllers and related occupations work all year, while 23% work only part of the year, compared to 62% and 38% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 46 weeks compared to 43 weeks for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 74% compared to 52% for all occupations
Women: 26% compared to 48% for all occupations
The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
no high school diploma: less than 5% compared to 12% for all occupations
high school diploma or equivalent: 11% compared to 19% for all occupations
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 23% compared to 19% for all occupations
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 38% compared to 22% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 23% compared to 17% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: less than 5% compared to 11% for all occupations
LimitedBritish Columbia
The employment outlook will be Limited for air traffic controllers and related occupations (NOC 72601) in British Columbia for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment growth will lead to a few new positions.
Not many positions will become available due to retirements.
There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
A limited pool of qualified personnel (staffing shortages) at Kelowna and Vancouver International Airports have led to some airport closures and flight delays.
NAV Canada is recruiting and training new controllers, as well as investing in technology and automation to enhance air traffic management efficiency.
Here are some key facts about air traffic controllers and related occupations in British Columbia:
Approximately 700 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
Air traffic controllers and related occupations mainly work in the following sectors:
Other transportation and warehousing (NAICS 482-483, 486, 487, 493): 68%
Air transportation (NAICS 481): 21%
Federal government public administration (NAICS 911): 8%
79% of air traffic controllers and related occupations work all year, while 21% work only part of the year, compared to 61% and 39% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 47 weeks compared to 42 weeks for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 70% compared to 52% for all occupations
Women: 30% compared to 48% for all occupations
The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
no high school diploma: less than 5% compared to 8% for all occupations
high school diploma or equivalent: 31% compared to 28% for all occupations
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 12% compared to 13% for all occupations
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 22% compared to 17% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 28% compared to 22% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 7% compared to 12% for all occupations
UndeterminedNewfoundland and Labrador
An employment outlook has not been assigned to this occupation in this region due to low levels of employment.
UndeterminedPrince Edward Island
An employment outlook has not been assigned to this occupation in this region due to low levels of employment.
UndeterminedNova Scotia
An employment outlook has not been assigned to this occupation in this region due to low levels of employment.
UndeterminedOntario
An employment outlook for this occupation was not assessed in this region.
UndeterminedSaskatchewan
An employment outlook has not been assigned to this occupation in this region due to low levels of employment.
UndeterminedNorthwest Territories
An employment outlook has not been assigned to this occupation in this region due to low levels of employment.
UndeterminedNunavut
An employment outlook has not been assigned to this occupation in this region due to low levels of employment.
Source: ESDC Job Bank, 3-year employment outlooks 2025–2027 (released December 2025).
Provinces
Provincial Nominee Programs
A provincial nomination adds 600 CRS points. Most provinces run occupation-targeted draws or in-demand lists, and some accept TEER 4 and 5 occupations that Express Entry does not.
Provincial lists change often, sometimes between draws. We check whether NOC 72601 is being targeted by any province as part of a consultation.
Similar occupations
Related NOC codes
Classified elsewhere
If your duties fit one of these better, use that code instead.
Same occupation group
Transportation officers and controllers
Questions
NOC 72601: common questions
What is the NOC code for air traffic controllers and related occupations?
What TEER category is NOC 72601?
Is NOC 72601 eligible for Express Entry?
Is NOC 72601 a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?
Is NOC 72601 eligible for category-based Express Entry draws?
What is the median wage for NOC 72601 in Canada?
Classification
Where it sits in NOC 2021
- 7Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupationsBroad Category
- 72Technical trades and transportation officers and controllersMajor Group
- 726Transportation officers and controllersSub-major Group
- 7260Transportation officers and controllersMinor Group
- 72601Air traffic controllers and related occupations
Enquiry
Is NOC 72601 your occupation? Ask us about your options.
Tell us your duties, experience and language scores. We will confirm your NOC code and the Canadian routes that fit.
Sources: Statistics Canada, NOC 2021 Version 1.0, Job Bank wages (2025), Job Bank outlooks 2025–2027 and IRCC. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Checked 21 October 2026.
NOC 2026 is due from Statistics Canada in December 2026. IRCC still uses NOC 2021 codes, and this page will show any change once IRCC switches.
This page is general information, not immigration advice. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Government of Canada, IRCC or ESDC.
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