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Average Air Traffic Assistant Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

An air traffic assistant in United Kingdom earns about 42,300 GBP a year. That's 39% below the national average of 69,700 GBP.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in United Kingdom sit around 21,400 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 67,200 GBP. Everything on this page is in British pound (GBP, symbol £), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in United Kingdom, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.

To turn a gross salary in United Kingdom into a take-home figure, use our United Kingdom salary after tax calculator, which works the latest tax brackets and contributions through the math for you.

How much does an air traffic assistant make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
42,300 GBP
3,525 GBP per month
Lowest reported
21,400 GBP
1,783 GBP per month
Highest reported
67,200 GBP
5,600 GBP per month

A typical air traffic assistant working in United Kingdom brings home around 3,525 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 21,400 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 67,200 GBP for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior air traffic assistant working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around. For a cross-country comparison, see the air traffic assistant salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How air traffic assistant pay ranges in United Kingdom

A good way to think about salary in United Kingdom is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all air traffic assistants in United Kingdom earn less than 43,500 GBP a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 27,300 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 58,200 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of air traffic assistants sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 21,400 GBP. The highest stretch to 67,200 GBP, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

21,400
Low
43,500
Median
67,200
High
27,300
25th
58,200
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Air traffic assistant pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for an air traffic assistant in United Kingdom, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical air traffic assistant salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    23,600 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +41% from previous
    33,200 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +32% from previous
    43,800 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +26% from previous
    55,100 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +6% from previous
    58,200 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +6% from previous
    61,500 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 0 - 2 Years to 2 - 5 Years, where pay rises by about 41%. That is the point at which a air traffic assistant typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.

Air traffic assistant pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving air traffic assistant pay in United Kingdom. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average air traffic assistant salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Certificate or Diploma
    33,300 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +57% from previous
    52,300 GBP

Air traffic assistant gender pay gap in United Kingdom

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and United Kingdom is no exception. Male air traffic assistants in United Kingdom earn an average of 45,200 GBP a year, while female air traffic assistants earn around 43,200 GBP. That works out to a 5% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Air Traffic Assistant gender pay gap

4%

Men earn this much more than women on average in United Kingdom.

Men 45,200 GBP
Women 43,200 GBP

Pay raises for an air traffic assistant in United Kingdom

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in United Kingdom sees a raise of about 12% every 14 months, which works out to roughly 10% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in United Kingdom, the national average raise is around 9% every 15 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in United Kingdom:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Air traffic assistant bonus rates in United Kingdom

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

32%

32% of air traffic assistants in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes an air traffic assistant a low-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary. The remaining 68% of air traffic assistants reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in United Kingdom

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Air traffic assistant: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in United Kingdom is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

6%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in United Kingdom on average.

Public sector 72,700 GBP
Private sector 68,200 GBP

Air traffic assistant salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Air traffic assistant pay is not even across United Kingdom. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities and regions in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • England
  • Scotland
  • Birmingham
  • Leicester
  • London
  • Somerset
  • Nottingham
  • Glasgow
  • Edinburgh
  • Newcastle
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion78,200 GBP79,600 GBP36,500-123,000 GBP
ScotlandRegion61,300 GBP57,200 GBP30,300-94,100 GBP
BirminghamCity50,000 GBP50,600 GBP23,800-76,900 GBP
LeicesterCity49,400 GBP46,100 GBP23,600-73,500 GBP
LondonCity48,500 GBP51,800 GBP24,400-76,800 GBP
SomersetCity48,500 GBP47,100 GBP23,600-77,000 GBP
NottinghamCity47,800 GBP43,800 GBP23,600-72,800 GBP
GlasgowCity47,100 GBP48,300 GBP23,800-74,600 GBP
EdinburghCity46,900 GBP45,600 GBP24,200-72,400 GBP
NewcastleCity46,700 GBP43,500 GBP23,600-67,800 GBP
WolverhamptonCity46,400 GBP49,700 GBP22,600-69,800 GBP
BrightonCity46,300 GBP42,500 GBP24,200-68,900 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity46,200 GBP45,300 GBP26,400-71,800 GBP
SheffieldCity46,100 GBP45,800 GBP23,700-70,500 GBP
LeedsCity45,800 GBP49,300 GBP23,700-75,000 GBP
AberdeenCity45,600 GBP40,200 GBP22,400-65,700 GBP
ArmaghCity45,300 GBP39,500 GBP25,300-66,900 GBP
BradfordCity45,300 GBP45,300 GBP23,200-70,100 GBP
PortsmouthCity45,300 GBP48,600 GBP22,000-70,900 GBP
SwanseaCity45,200 GBP41,400 GBP24,800-69,100 GBP
SouthamptonCity45,200 GBP41,500 GBP22,400-68,500 GBP
BristolCity45,000 GBP47,600 GBP23,800-70,600 GBP
NewportCity44,800 GBP48,600 GBP18,200-69,100 GBP
BelfastCity44,500 GBP45,200 GBP20,700-67,800 GBP
LiverpoolCity44,200 GBP45,000 GBP22,200-70,900 GBP
CoventryCity43,800 GBP47,200 GBP21,100-73,200 GBP
ManchesterCity43,800 GBP43,800 GBP21,300-69,700 GBP
DerbyCity43,500 GBP40,300 GBP20,000-64,800 GBP
CambridgeCity43,200 GBP39,800 GBP23,400-62,300 GBP
PeterboroughCity43,100 GBP45,000 GBP23,500-69,400 GBP
CardiffCity43,100 GBP45,300 GBP21,500-70,800 GBP
PlymouthCity42,700 GBP47,800 GBP20,200-68,300 GBP
DerryCity41,500 GBP39,300 GBP22,100-64,800 GBP
YorkCity41,400 GBP41,400 GBP21,700-63,500 GBP
DundeeCity41,000 GBP43,500 GBP21,100-63,400 GBP
NorwichCity40,300 GBP42,600 GBP20,500-63,500 GBP
OxfordCity40,300 GBP45,200 GBP22,000-66,700 GBP
ExeterCity40,300 GBP40,300 GBP18,200-61,600 GBP
GloucesterCity40,300 GBP39,100 GBP24,400-61,200 GBP
LincolnCity40,300 GBP45,000 GBP19,100-64,400 GBP
ChesterCity40,200 GBP40,000 GBP21,100-61,400 GBP
HartlepoolCity39,800 GBP39,300 GBP20,900-59,800 GBP
DurhamCity39,800 GBP44,300 GBP16,300-63,900 GBP
TruroCity39,500 GBP38,000 GBP16,300-60,900 GBP
SalisburyCity39,300 GBP36,800 GBP23,200-61,400 GBP
WalesRegion38,900 GBP38,100 GBP23,200-61,600 GBP
KirkwallCity38,700 GBP40,300 GBP18,600-59,500 GBP
AbingdonCity38,100 GBP39,300 GBP18,600-59,200 GBP
StromnessCity38,100 GBP40,300 GBP18,800-58,600 GBP
LisburnCity38,000 GBP41,900 GBP20,300-63,200 GBP
PooleCity38,000 GBP39,600 GBP21,100-61,600 GBP
NewryCity37,900 GBP36,700 GBP20,000-59,200 GBP
StirlingCity37,900 GBP36,200 GBP20,400-58,600 GBP
StrontianCity37,200 GBP37,200 GBP19,400-56,100 GBP
BangorCity36,900 GBP39,000 GBP18,000-60,200 GBP
InvernessCity36,800 GBP34,700 GBP19,200-54,200 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion36,700 GBP40,900 GBP16,300-59,200 GBP
CanterburyCity36,400 GBP39,600 GBP16,300-59,500 GBP
WakefieldCity36,400 GBP34,900 GBP19,100-58,600 GBP
WinchesterCity35,600 GBP35,000 GBP19,200-56,400 GBP
WellsCity35,600 GBP40,000 GBP19,100-60,500 GBP
St DavidsCity35,000 GBP35,000 GBP19,200-54,500 GBP
RiponCity34,800 GBP34,800 GBP17,100-58,200 GBP

Air Traffic Assistant in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does an air traffic assistant make per month in United Kingdom?

    An air traffic assistant in United Kingdom earns about 3,525 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 42,300 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for an air traffic assistant in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level air traffic assistants in United Kingdom start near 21,400 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 67,200 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 27,300 and 58,200 GBP.

  • Is the median air traffic assistant salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 43,500 GBP, higher than the average of 42,300 GBP. Half of air traffic assistants in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for air traffic assistants in United Kingdom?

    Men working as an air traffic assistant in United Kingdom earn around 5% more than women on average (45,200 vs 43,200 GBP a year).

  • Do air traffic assistants in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 32% of air traffic assistants in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary.

  • Do air traffic assistants earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

    In United Kingdom, the public sector pays an air traffic assistant about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do air traffic assistants in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    An air traffic assistant in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 12% every 14 months, equivalent to roughly 10% a year.