Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
What does a Air Traffic Controllers salary really buy you in Arizona?
Arizona is near the US average cost of livingData: BLS OEWS 2025 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-05-19
Arizona's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 99.9, meaning prices are 0.1% lower the national average. A Air Traffic Controllers earning $136,800 in Arizona has the equivalent purchasing power of $136,936 in an average-cost US state.
Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for Arizona's cost of living.
| Percentile | Nominal Salary | COL-Adjusted | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $86,630 | $86,716 | +$86 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $112,030 | $112,142 | +$112 |
| Median (P50) | $136,800 | $136,936 | +$136 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $170,870 | $171,041 | +$171 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $195,980 | $196,176 | +$196 |
Arizona's cost of living is close to the national average, so $136,800 keeps most of its value at $136,936 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
With an RPP of 99.9, Arizona is within a few percent of the national cost-of-living baseline. Salary adjustment for Air Traffic Controllers is therefore minor — what you earn is close to what you'd keep in real purchasing power.
After adjusting for Arizona's cost of living, $136,800 nominal nets out to $136,937 in real purchasing power — a small 0.1% gain. The state's cost profile is close enough to average that COL alone shouldn't drive location decisions for this Air Traffic Controllers.
Arizona sits at #21 of 43 states for Air Traffic Controllers COL-adjusted salary — comfortably above the national midpoint.
Where does Air Traffic Controllers salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Arizona ranks #21 out of 43 states for Air Traffic Controllers after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Air Traffic Controllers take-home pay in Arizona after taxes →
A Air Traffic Controllers in Arizona earns a median salary of $136,800 per year. After adjusting for Arizona's cost of living (RPP=99.9), the real purchasing power is $136,936 — a +0.1% difference.
Arizona's cost of living is 0.1% lower than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Arizona is 99.9 (US average = 100).
Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are price indexes published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measure differences in price levels across states. They are expressed as a percentage of the national average (US = 100). Higher RPP means higher cost of living.
The adjusted salary is calculated as: Nominal Salary x (100 / RPP). For a Air Traffic Controllers in Arizona: $136,800 x (100 / 99.9) = $136,936. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
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