How to Become an Air Traffic Controller after 12th: Career, Courses, Eligibility, Entrance Exams, Skills, Benefits, Salary

Q: What is the qualification to become an Air Traffic Controller?

The candidate must have a bachelors degree like B.Tech, B.Sc, or BBA from any recognised institution. After the completion of bachelors course, the candidate has to crack Civil ATC exam before completing the age of 27 years.

Ahana Bhaduri

Content Writer | Updated 3+ months ago

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The role of an air traffic controller holds great importance to ensure safety, and efficiency in the respective aviation industry. After completing the 12th grade or ?quival?nt ?ducation, one needs to pursue a bachelor's degree in aviation, air traffic manag?m?nt, or a related field from a r?cogniz?d institution.

The time taken to become an Air Traffic Controll?r can vary. Typically, th? ?ducational phas? (compl?ting a bachelor's d?gr??) can tak? around 3 to 4 y?ars. Aft?rward, th? training program can range from a few months to a y?ar, depending on th? program and th? compl?xity of air traffic control proc?dur?s. B?coming an Air Traffic Controll?r can b? chall?nging du? to th? high level of responsibility, th? n??d for precise communication, and th? ability to handl? high-pr?ssur? situations.

An av?rag? salary of an Air Traffic Controll?r in India starts from 8 lakhs p?r annum and goes to 30 lakhs p?r annum. How?v?r, th? starting salary of an Air Traffic Controll?r can b? from 4 lakhs p?r annum.

Table of Contents

How to Become an Air Traffic Controller after 12th: Quick Facts
Eligibility to become Air Traffic Controller after 12th
Steps to Become an Air Traffic Controller after 12th
Air Traffic Controller Courses after 12th

4.1 Entrance Exams

Top Air Traffic Controller Colleges
Skills required to become an Air Traffic Controller after 12th
Benefits of Becoming an Air Traffic Controller
Salary of an Air Traffic Controller
How to Become an Air Traffic Controller after 12th: FAQs

How to Become an Air Traffic Controller after 12th: Quick Facts

Eligibility Criteria	Class 12th
Qualification	B.Tech degree in Electronics, telecommunications, or Electrical Engineering.
Starting Salary (INR)	4 LPA - 6 LPA.
Average Salary (INR)	8.55 LPA - LPA
Highest Salary (INR)	30 LPA
Top Exams	Civil Air traffic controller exam.

Eligibility to become Air Traffic Controller after 12th

The eligibility to become Air Traffic Controller after 12th is mentioned below:

The candidate must have Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics as his main subjects in Class 12.
The candidate must have passed his class 12th board examination from any recognised college or university with at least 45% of marks.
After the completion of class 12, the candidate must enrol in a BTech, B.Sc, or BBA degree in any recognised institute or university.
The candidate must have appeared and passed the Civil Air Traffic Controller Test and the age of the candidate should not be more than 27 years.

Steps to Become an Air Traffic Controller after 12th

To become an Air Traffic Controller in India, the candidates have to follow a series of steps. The steps that are essential to become an Air Traffic Controller in India are briefly mentioned below:

Step No. 1 – It is one of the most important steps to become an Indian Air Traffic Controller i.e., the candidate who wants to become an Air Traffic Controller in India after class 12th must be a citizen of India and must have opted physics, chemistry and maths as the main subjects in the class 12th.
Step No. 2 – The appearing candidate must have passed an exam of the Class 12th board. After passing the 12th-grade board exam, the candidate shall get enrolled in BTech, B.Sc, or BBA degree in any recognised college or university.
Step No. 3 – After completing the Bachelor's course, the candidate shall appear for the Civil Air Traffic Controller exam before completing the age of 27 years.

Air Traffic Controller Courses after 12th

The candidate must have done B. Tech or B.Sc. to become an Air Traffic Controller. However, a BBA in Aviation or B. Tech in Aerospace will be a plus point in becoming an Air Traffic Controller. The detailed information on these courses is given below in a tabular form –

Parameters	B.Tech	BBA in Aviation	B.Sc
Eligibility Required	10+2 in science background	10+2 in science background	10+2 in science background
Duration of the course	4 Years	3 Years	3 Years
Entrance exams required	JEE and other college exams	DUET, CUET, BHU- CET etc.	DUET, CUET, BHU- CET etc.
Fees	INR 40,000 to INR 89,500 LPA	INR 70,000 LPA to 4 LPA	INR 1 LPA
Average Salary	INR 7 LPA	INR 4 to 8 LPA	INR 7 to 18 LPA
Top government Colleges	IIT Madras IIT Delhi IIT Bombay	IIM, Indore IIM Ranchi IIM Rohtak, Rohtak	St Stephen's College, New Delhi Hindu College, New Delhi LSR, New Delhi
Top Private colleges	BITS Pilani Institute of Chemical Technology - [ICT], Mumbai VIT University, Vellore	IIFT, New Delhi TAPMI, Manipal NMIMS University, Bangalore	MCC, Chennai Fergusson College, Pune SXC, Kolkata

Entrance Exams

The main examination that a candidate must appear in is Civil Air Traffic Controller i.e., AAI JE ATC examination. This exam is conducted by the Civil Aviation Authority in an Online Mode i.e Computer-Based Test. This exam is conducted once every year as per the requirements in the industry in English and Hindi Languages only.

Entrance Exams	Application Deadline	Exam Date	Result Declaration
Civil Air Traffic Controller (AAI JE ATC)	21 January 2023	20 and 21 February 2023	03 June 2023

Top Air Traffic Controller Colleges

To be an Air Traffic Controller in India, there is no separate degree or course in which the candidate needs to get enrolled. The candidate who wants to be an Air Traffic Controller can be enrolled in any college offering suitable courses to be an Air Traffic Controller.

However, some of the top colleges or universities providing various courses that the candidate may be admitted to become an Air Traffic Controller are listed below in a table along with the location they are in.

Name of the College	Location	Fees
IIT Madras - Indian Institute of Technology - [IITM], Chennai	Chennai	INR 1,00,000
IIT Delhi - Indian Institute of Technology [IITD], New Delhi	New Delhi	INR 1,90,000
IIT Bombay - Indian Institute of Technology - [IITB], Mumbai	Mumbai	INR 2,19,000
Indian Institute of Foreign Trade - [IIFT], New Delhi	New Delhi	INR 1,50,000
T. A. Pai Management Institute - [TAPMI], Manipal	Manipal	INR 8,25,000
St Stephen's College, New Delhi	New Delhi	INR 40,420
Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies - [NMIMS University], Bangalore	Bangalore	INR 2,20,000
Lady Shri Ram College for Women - [LSR], New Delhi	New Delhi	INR 15,870
Hindu College, New Delhi	New Delhi	INR 17,592

Skills required to become an Air Traffic Controller after 12th

To get any job, the candidate must have completed the required educational degree and must have cleared the required exam. However, to grow within that respective job, the candidate has to gain some skills and then regularly work on his skills to get a better outcome. Similarly, to get an Air Traffic Controller job, the candidate must have certain skills.

The skills that an Air Traffic Controller must have are mentioned in the table below.

Empathy	Focus and concentration
Interpersonal Communication	Teamwork skills
Patience	To be thorough and detail-oriented
Strong and clear communication skills	Problem-Solving ability
A methodical and thorough approach	Communication skills

Benefits of Becoming an Air Traffic Controller

There are several benefits of becoming an Air Traffic Controller (ATC). The benefits can affect the candidate, both personally and professionally. Here are some of the fundamental benefits of becoming an ATC -

Job Security: Air traffic control is a necessary and important part of the aviation field. Air Traffic Controllers are the backbone of this industry, providing a high level of job security.
Competitive Compensation: ATCs often receive a good amount of salaries and benefits due to the technological essence of their work and the level of responsibility they hold in ensuring the safety of the public and crew.
Challenging and Dynamic Work: Air traffic control is a challenging as well as a dynamic field. Air Traffic Controllers often have to deal with various challenges that include weather disruptions and emergencies, and their task is to manage multiple aircraft at the same time.
Sense of Responsibility: ATCs play a crucial role in ensuring safety. If you are somebody who enjoys working under pressure and wants to make a deep impact on the aviation industry, then this Air Traffic Controller job can be your perfect choice.
Global Opportunities: Air traffic controlling skills are in demand. The scope of this job is very wide and is continuously increasing. Becoming an Air Traffic Controller could provide opportunities to work in different countries and experience various aviation environments.

Salary of an Air Traffic Controller

The average salary of an Air Traffic Controller in India starts from 8 lakhs per annum and goes to 30 LPA. However, the starting salary of an Air Traffic Controller can be from 4 lakhs per annum. The highest salary any officer can receive in his tenure of being an Air Traffic Controller can be around 28 to 38 LPA.

Tabulated below is the salary of Air Traffic Controllers depending upon the type of responsibilities they have. Please note that these salary amounts may vary according to different years of experience

Designations	Average Annual Salary (INR)
Junior Air Traffic Controller	6.10 L
Senior Air Traffic Controller	11 L
Approach and Departure Controller	7 L
En Route Controller	6 L

How to Become an Air Traffic Controller after 12th: FAQs

Ques. In how many years, one can become an Air Traffic Controller?

Ans. Candidates can become an Air Traffic Controller after completing a bachelor’s degree. This degree can be of 3 or 4 years. After that, the candidate is required to pass the Civil ATC exam.

Ques. Is it important to crack JEE - Mains to become an Air Traffic Controller?

Ans. No it is not. The candidate just needs to get the bachelor's degree like B.Tech, B.Sc, or BBA from any recognised private or government institution.

Ques. Is it hard to become an Air Traffic Controller?

Ans. No, it is not. Becoming an Air Traffic Controller requires a bachelor's degree and the candidate also needs to crack an exam of Civil Air Traffic Controller Exam.

Ques. What is the qualification to become an Air Traffic Controller?

Ans. The candidate must have a bachelor’s degree like B.Tech, B.Sc, or BBA from any recognised institution. After the completion of bachelors course, the candidate has to crack Civil ATC exam before completing the age of 27 years.

Ques. Is becoming an Air Traffic Controller worth it?

Ans. Yes, it is. The demand of this profession is continuously increasing. This high demand made the scope of Air Traffic Controller very wide.

Ques. What is easier, B.Tech, BBA or B.Sc?

Ans. Each degree holds individual importance. The only difference is that B.Sc and BBA is of 3 years and the duration of B.Tech is 4 years.

Ques. What is easier, becoming a Pilot or becoming an Air Traffic Controller?

Ans. The advice and information given by Air Traffic Controllers are to be followed by the Pilots. The ATCs also set rules and regulations regarding the flights.