Tower Controller Salary in Camp Pendleton, CA

How much does a Tower Controller make in Camp Pendleton, CA?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Tower Controller in Camp Pendleton, CA is $104,672 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $50.

However, a Tower Controller's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $122,009
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $96,879 to $113,747
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $89,784
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View as table View as graph 25% $96,879 10% $89,784 90% $122,009 75% $113,747 $104,672 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Tower Controller Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $113,747 $9,479 $2,187 $55
Average $104,672 $8,723 $2,013 $50
25th Percentile $96,879 $8,073 $1,863 $47
Check out Tower Controller Job Openings in Camp Pendleton, CA
Aircraft Logs&amp Records Clerk

ACET, Inc. - Camp Pendleton, CA

Recreation Center Attendant

Armed Services YMCA of The U S A - Camp Pendleton, CA

Job Certified Medical Assistant

ERP International - Camp Pendleton, CA

Youth Program Leader

Armed Services YMCA of The U S A - Camp Pendleton, CA

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Key Factors That Influence Tower Controller Salaries

A Tower Controller's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, skills and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Tower Controller Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Tower Controller's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here’s how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $78,127
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $91,954
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $104,005
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $129,355
  • Expert (over 8 years): $155,199
Levels Salary
Quality A... Level Tower Controller$78,127
Quality A... Level Tower Controller$91,954
Tower Con... Level Tower Controller$104,005
Quality A... Level Tower Controller$129,355
Quality A... Level Tower Controller$155,199
$78,127 0 yr
$91,954 < 2 yrs
$104,005 2-4 yrs
$129,355 5-8 yrs
$155,199 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Tower Controllers

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $124,677
  • San Francisco: $123,312
  • Oakland: $120,713

What Skills Can Increase a Tower Controller's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Team Development (Mentioned in 3.93% Job Postings): Building and developing effective teams to achieve a common goal or to complete a task in the most effective and efficient way.
  • Software Development (Mentioned in 2.98% Job Postings): Software development is the process of conceiving, specifying, designing, programming, documenting, testing, and bug fixing involved in creating and maintaining applications, frameworks, or other software components. Software development is a process of writing and maintaining the source code, but in a broader sense, it includes all that is involved between the conception of the desired software through to the final manifestation of the software, sometimes in a planned and structured process. Therefore, software development may include research, new development, prototyping, modification, reuse, re-engineering, maintenance, or any other activities that result in software products. Software can be developed for a variety of purposes, the three most common being to meet specific needs of a specific client/business (the case with custom software), to meet a perceived need of some set of potential users (the case with commercial and open source software), or for personal use (e.g. a scientist may write software to automate a mundane task). Embedded software development, that is, the development of embedded software, such as used for controlling consumer products, requires the development process to be integrated with the development of the controlled physical product. System software underlies applications and the programming process itself, and is often developed separately.
  • JavaScript (Mentioned in 1.84% Job Postings): Using JavaScript in the development and maintenance of Web-based application systems.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Team Development 3.93%
Software Development 2.98%
JavaScript 1.84%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Tower Controller's salary.
  • Python: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
  • Android: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
  • Linux: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Python
$110,953
6%
Android
$109,906
5%
Linux
$109,906
5%
Debugging
$109,906
5%
Networking
$108,859
4%
Computer Science
$108,859
4%
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Tower Controller Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Tower Controller roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 100% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Aerospace & Defense and Biotechnology sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 50% above the average. In contrast, Tower Controller positions in Transportation or Telecom typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Tower Controller as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for a Tower Controller

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Aerospace & Defense$157,008$75.050%

Tower Controller Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Tower Controller's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on August 01, 2026

Find Your Next Tower Controller Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Tower Controller job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

United States
  • OLH Technical Services

    Camp Pendleton, CA

    OLH Technical Services | Camp Pendleton, CA

    Supply Technician Sr (Site Lead). OLH Technical Services, a subsidiary of Three Saints Bay, LLC, and a Federal Government Contractor industry leader, is se... more

    4 Days Ago

  • US Department of War

    Camp Pendleton, CA

    US Department of War | Camp Pendleton, CA

    Job Title. Duties. Help. Maintaining adequate stock of resale items. Identifying any obvious spoilage, damage, and out-of-date merchandise. Receiving suppl... more

    4 Days Ago

  • US Marine Corps

    Camp Pendleton, CA

    US Marine Corps | Camp Pendleton, CA

    Wastewater Collection System Leader. You will serve as a working leader over the wastewater collection system to include gravity lines, force mains, wastew... more

    4 Days Ago

  • Fallbrook Public Utility District

    Camp Pendleton, CA

    Fallbrook Public Utility District | Camp Pendleton, CA

    Job Title. This position is contingent upon the candidate's ability to obtain and maintain access approval for both DBIDS CPEN and DBIDS Naval Weapons Stat... more

    4 Days Ago

  • ITNOVA, LLC

    Camp Pendleton, CA

    ITNOVA, LLC | Camp Pendleton, CA

    H-1 Flight Equipment Technician (CDQAR/QASO). Camp Pendleton South, CA. ITnova is seeking an experienced H-1 Flight Equipment Technician (CDQAR / QASO) to ... more

    4 Days Ago

  • Trillion Technology Solutions

    Camp Pendleton, CA

    Trillion Technology Solutions | Camp Pendleton, CA

    Job Description. Job Description. Air C2 Systems Maintainer EngineerLocation: Camp Pendleton / MCTSSAClearance: Active SECRET (TS/SCI preferred)Position Ty... more

    4 Days Ago

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Cost of Living In Camp Pendleton, CA

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