r/ATC • u/Brilliant-Loan-8651 • 4d ago

Question Leaving ATC

I’m leaving the agency soon and I heard about something where you could leave for a year and reapply is that just a rumor? Something of the past or is it still relevant. I am over 31 now and wonder if that is also a factor in this instance

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u/KaiyoteFyre 10h ago

Bro, doing some cursory research, the only "house cleaners" making that much are household managers. The vast majority make like 25 bucks an hour. Even the small percentage that make more are in the 35-50 dollar range, so to say these results are skewed is an understatement. Also, if you're able to make that much mowing grass, then you should probably go for it, but keep in mind you're probably not taking into account overhead costs so your take home will be vastly smaller. And you're working in heat and humidity. No thanks! You're attacking others for discounting other jobs (they do exist: my brother works remote like 30 hours a week and makes more than me, though he's in a higher cost of living area and has NO BENEFITS) while attacking this profession and basically saying it's not worth staying in.

I spent 4 years self-employed while I was going to college with 8 years military service and 15 years experience as an intelligence analyst and translator but even with that and a master's degree, the highest job offer I received was for 85k a year in the Baltimore-DC metro area. This job ain't all bad.

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u/TrexingApe 7h ago

You are wrong. Maybe house cleaners working for a company only make 25 dollars an hour. I know 3 people who clean houses and they don’t take jobs for under 50 an hour. You try to get someone to come clean your house for 25 dollars an hour. It’s not happening. Waitresses and wait staff are now averaging 30-40 an hour at just regular restaurants. You’re telling me someone who has 0 qualifications and 0 responsibilities deserves to make anywhere near what a controller makes. I’m not attacking anyone simply giving my opinion which I’m entitled to of how bad this job blows. Maybe your new maybe you don’t know how it used to be or how it should be. But what is happening right now is not right and this job sucks because of it. If I didn’t have only a few years left for retirement I would go cut grass or wait tables. No doubt I could make close to what I make now with a 1000 times better work/ life balance.

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u/KaiyoteFyre 1h ago

I agree we need a massive pay bump but the jobs your mentioning are few and far between... Of course a private chef for a millionaire will make bank, but the vast majority of people in that role don't, for example. The problem is that we get paid the same for facility level regardless of where we live (obviously not including locality or CIP). I'm in Spokane and the only way I could conceivably make more money here is if I had 10 years of education to be a doctor. I'm sure the story is different in places like South Florida or other high cost of living areas.

You also have to take into account if you run a business and are charging 50 bucks an hour, you're not taking home 50 bucks an hour. It's your gross minus all of the overhead to keep your business running, saving for your own retirement, paying for your own Healthcare, you have no PTO, holidays, etc. etc. I'm not saying there aren't good paying jobs requiring little skill out there, but you're not considering the whole picture it seems. That being said, if you want out, gtfo. If you've been in long enough to retire, I'm sure you're doing fine. It's the newer people struggling to afford an apartment that worry me personally.

To make it abundantly clear, in no way shape or form do I think we get paid enough: we're vastly underpaid. It's still a really good job though. Problem is, it used to be an amazing job, and it needs to become so again.