How long does it take?

About 2 years, with a first real paycheque in about 1 year.

What does it cost and how much debt is typical?

About $0 in tuition and fees, and usually no debt.

Straight to work

Air traffic controller (NAV Canada)

Q: How much does a air traffic controller (nav canada) earn in Ontario?

Roughly $58,600 in the first years and $125,000 by year five (Ontario median, before tax). Verified against NAV Canada selection and training page: training salary $58,606 (year 2 $61,337), licensed tower controllers $104,000–207,000 and area controllers $143,000–207,000 (2026 scale); Job Bank NOC 72601, wages Nov 2025 (Ontario median $52.96/hr); NAV Canada reported being about 200 controllers short (March 2026). Year 5 assumes two to three years licensed at a tower. Months = typical application funnel before paid training starts.

NAV Canada licence; paid training, 12 to 27 months

Numbers for 33 of 52 pathways verified, the rest partly · How we verify

Years to credential2

First real paycheque~1 year

Time in a classroom50%

Total cost$0

Typical debt after$0

Demand in OntarioHigh

The first ten years

schoolearnearnearnearnearnearnearnearnearn

Mostly in schoolEarning

Earnings by year, roughly

Ontario median before tax. Overtime, location and specialisation change this a lot. Net by year 10 after program cost: $992k, low to high $843k to $1141k.

What's in "net by year 10"

Earnings, years 1 to 10	$992k	1 year at $0 while in school, then $58,600 rising to $125,000 by year five, flat after
Program cost	−$0k	tuition and fees
Typical (medians)	$992k	the number on the card
Low to high	$843k to $1141k	pay 15% under or over the median, cost 15% more or 10% less

Not counted: income tax, rent, food, loan interest, inflation, and unemployment gaps. They apply to every route, so they change the size of each number more than the order. Pay is the Ontario median before tax from the sources on this page.

The picture

What the day-to-day isOnline aptitude tests and an assessment centre, then one to two years of paid classroom and simulator training, then live traffic under supervision in a tower or area control centre.

What actually stops peopleRoughly one in a hundred applicants is accepted into training, and under half of trainees graduate. Failing a stage can mean a multi-year wait before you can reapply.

The downsideRotating shifts for a career, relocation to wherever the opening is, and a training wash-out rate that would be unacceptable anywhere else. Not a fallback plan.

If you're the parentNo tuition, a salary from the first day of training, and a six-figure licensed income with a pension. The honest version: a one-percent acceptance rate, so it belongs on a list of three, never alone.

Local opportunities in Ontario

Ready to explore this for real?

Eight quick questions about whether this route fits your life, not just your grades. You'll get a readiness check, and if you want, we'll introduce you to employers, unions or programs in your region.

Check my readiness

How to enter

What you need

Courses: English (U)

Deadlines in Ontario

No deadline; most entry roles hire year round. Certificates (PSW, security, AZ) run every few weeks

Next steps

1
Check current wages and outlook on Job Bank

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✓ Verified 2026-10-26 Sources: NAV Canada selection and training page: training salary $58,606 (year 2 $61,337), licensed tower controllers $104,000–207,000 and area controllers $143,000–207,000 (2026 scale); Job Bank NOC 72601, wages Nov 2025 (Ontario median $52.96/hr); NAV Canada reported being about 200 controllers short (March 2026). Year 5 assumes two to three years licensed at a tower. Months = typical application funnel before paid training starts

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