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Mandatory retirement at 56 and 2-4 hours of breaks in an eight-hour shift – do air traffic controllers have the best job in the world?

From six-figure salaries to breaks of two-four hours per eight hour shift, air traffic controllers get great perks - even if their jobs are highly stressful

BECOMING a pilot is the dream job of many people – but it now seems like working in air traffic control is even better.

There are some surprising perks of the job – including mandatory retirement at the young age of 56.

 Do air traffic controllers have the best job in the world? With a potential six-figure salary, it doesn't sound like a bad job
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Do air traffic controllers have the best job in the world? With a potential six-figure salary, it doesn't sound like a bad jobCredit: Alamy

A US air traffic controller posted about openings for positions in the US on Reddit and sang the praises of their career path.

: “I can’t stress enough how amazing this job is. You will make anywhere from $70,000 (£52,168) - $180,000 (£134,146) per year, depending on your facility.

“Mandatory retirement is at 56, but you can retire at 50 with full benefits.

“You will earn good vacation time, as well as 13 sick days per year."

 Air traffic controllers do not have to go to university to get their job
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Air traffic controllers do not have to go to university to get their jobCredit: Alamy

They continued: “On any given 8 hour shift you will have anywhere from 2-4 hours of break time.

“The worst part about the schedule is the rotating shift work, but it’s not that bad.

“This is a six figure job that does not require a college degree.”

And it doesn’t just seem to be US air traffic controllers who are paid well.

On the (National Air Traffic Services) website, there are details of how much UK air traffic controllers are paid too.

 A Reddit user wrote about their job as an air traffic controller has sung the praises of their career
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A Reddit user wrote about their job as an air traffic controller has sung the praises of their careerCredit: Alamy

By the third year working in the job air traffic controllers can expect to earn between £46,461 - £51,781 with shift payments of £5,542.

The website confirms that with incremental payments over the years, you can end up on a salary of £100,000 at Swanwick and Heathrow.

The Reddit thread confirms that the highly skilled job is indeed stressful – after all, you are in charge of making decisions to do with planes that will safeguard passengers’ lives.

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One user wrote: “Is the work as high pressure as we hear?”

The original poster replied: “It can be at times, yes. Other times not so much. It varies greatly.”

Sun Online Travel previously spoke to Vicky McCarthy, a 26-year-old Thomas Cook pilot on how she gets along in the her job - and her secrets from the job.


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