A person working as an Air Traffic Controller in Bulgaria typically earns around 3,760 BGN per month. Salaries range from 1,730 BGN (lowest) to 5,970 BGN (highest).
This is the average monthly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Air Traffic Controller salaries vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Air Traffic Controller salaries in Bulgaria range from 1,730 BGN per month (minimum salary) to 5,970 BGN per month (maximum salary).
The median salary is 4,060 BGN per month, which means that half (50%) of people working as Air Traffic Controller(s) are earning less than 4,060 BGN while the other half are earning more than 4,060 BGN. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.
Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of Air Traffic Controller(s) are earning less than 2,600 BGN while 75% of them are earning more than 2,600 BGN. Also from the diagram, 75% of Air Traffic Controller(s) are earning less than 5,420 BGN while 25% are earning more than 5,420 BGN.
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both of the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people are earning more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher your wage. We broke down Air Traffic Controller salaries by experience level and this is what we found.
An Air Traffic Controller with less than two years of experience makes approximately 1,960 BGN per month.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 2,620 BGN per month, 34% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 3,870 BGN per month, 48% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, Air Traffic Controller(s) whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 4,720 BGN per month, 22% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 5,140 BGN per month, 9% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 5,570 BGN per month, 8% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
0 - 2 Years | 1,960 BGN | |
2 - 5 Years | +34% | 2,620 BGN |
5 - 10 Years | +48% | 3,870 BGN |
10 - 15 Years | +22% | 4,720 BGN |
15 - 20 Years | +9% | 5,140 BGN |
20+ Years | +8% | 5,570 BGN |
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down Air Traffic Controller salaries by education level in order to make a comparison.
When the education level is Certificate or Diploma, the average salary of an Air Traffic Controller is 2,240 BGN per month.
While someone with a Bachelor's Degree gets a salary of 3,510 BGN per month, 57% more than someone having a Certificate or Diploma degree.
A Master's Degree gets its holder an average salary of 5,890 BGN per month, 68% more than someone with a Bachelor's Degree.
Certificate or Diploma | 2,240 BGN | |
Bachelor's Degree | +57% | 3,510 BGN |
Master's Degree | +68% | 5,890 BGN |
A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in Bulgaria costs anywhere from 16,500 Bulgarian Lev(s) to 49,500 Bulgarian Lev(s) and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.
You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.
Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch into a higher paying job. The numbers seem to support the thoery. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.
If you can afford the costs of higher education, the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? Male Air Traffic Controller employees in Bulgaria earn 9% more than their female counterparts on average.
Male | 3,910 BGN | |
Female | -8% | 3,600 BGN |
Air Traffic Controller(s) in Bulgaria are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 10% every 20 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 7% granted to employees every 20 months.
The term 'Annual Salary Increase' usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rarely that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 ÷ Increase Frequency
Banking | 6% | |
Energy | 3% | |
Information Technology | 9% | |
Healthcare | 6% | |
Travel | 3% | |
Construction | 9% | |
Education | 6% |
Listed above are the average annual increase rates for each industry in Bulgaria for the year 2021. Companies within thriving industries tend to provide higher and more frequent raises. Exceptions do exist, but generally speaking, the situation of any company is closely related to the economic situation in the country or region. These figures tend to change frequently.
An Air Traffic Controller is considered to be a low bonus-based job due to the generally limited involvement in direct revenue generation, with exceptions of course. The people who get the highest bonuses are usually somehow involved in the revenue generation cycle.
68% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 32% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 0% to 4% of their annual salary.
Received Bonus | 32% | |
No Bonus | 68% |
The most standard form of bonus where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
The main two types of jobs | |
Revenue Generators | Supporting Cast |
Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business. | Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations. |
Example: | Example: |
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fix amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
The average salary for Air Traffic Controller is 12% more than that of Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense. Also, Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense salaries are 2% more than those of All Jobs.
Job Title | Average Salary |
Aeronautical Engineer | 3,630 BGN | ![]() |
Aerospace Engineer | 4,230 BGN | ![]() |
Aerospace Technician | 3,060 BGN | ![]() |
Air Crew Officer | 2,320 BGN | ![]() |
Air Traffic Assistant | 1,950 BGN | ![]() |
Air Traffic Controller | 3,760 BGN | ![]() |
Aircraft Captain | 5,480 BGN | ![]() |
Aircraft Electrician | 1,780 BGN | ![]() |
Aircraft Engineer | 3,340 BGN | ![]() |
Aircraft Fueler | 1,540 BGN | ![]() |
Aircraft Maintenance Manager | 5,550 BGN | ![]() |
Aircraft Maintenance Supervisor | 3,400 BGN | ![]() |
Aircraft Maintenance Technician | 1,530 BGN | ![]() |
Aircraft Mechanic | 1,740 BGN | ![]() |
Aircraft Quality Assurance | 4,430 BGN | ![]() |
Airfield Management Specialist | 4,950 BGN | ![]() |
Airfield Operations Specialist | 3,850 BGN | ![]() |
Airline Cabin Crew | 3,260 BGN | ![]() |
Airline Copilot | 3,850 BGN | ![]() |
Airlines Sales Manager | 5,890 BGN | ![]() |
Airlines Structural Assembler | 1,530 BGN | ![]() |
Airport Services Agent | 2,200 BGN | ![]() |
Airport Services Manager | 7,210 BGN | ![]() |
Assistant Aircraft Mechanic | 1,540 BGN | ![]() |
Aviation Analyst | 4,320 BGN | ![]() |
Aviation Inspector | 3,810 BGN | ![]() |
Aviation Manager | 6,950 BGN | ![]() |
Aviation Operations Controller | 3,660 BGN | ![]() |
Aviation Resources Manager | 6,060 BGN | ![]() |
Aviation Safety Manager | 6,250 BGN | ![]() |
Aviation Safety Officer | 3,480 BGN | ![]() |
Aviation Technician | 1,640 BGN | ![]() |
Cargo Executive | 3,300 BGN | ![]() |
Chief Pilot | 5,950 BGN | ![]() |
First Officer | 2,570 BGN | ![]() |
Fleet Management Officer | 2,310 BGN | ![]() |
Flight Attendant | 2,360 BGN | ![]() |
Flight Scheduler | 2,680 BGN | ![]() |
Flight Simulation Engineer | 2,970 BGN | ![]() |
Freight and Cargo Inspector | 2,390 BGN | ![]() |
Helicopter Pilot | 3,720 BGN | ![]() |
Loading Bridge Operator | 1,420 BGN | ![]() |
Pilot | 5,690 BGN | ![]() |
Ramp Agent | 1,430 BGN | ![]() |
Reservations Sales Agent | 1,880 BGN | ![]() |
Safety and Quality Specialist | 3,450 BGN | ![]() |
Test Pilot | 3,920 BGN | ![]() |
City | Average Salary |
Burgas | 3,570 BGN |
Plovdiv | 3,760 BGN |
Rousse | 3,370 BGN |
Sofia | 4,050 BGN |
Stara Zagora | 3,440 BGN |
Varna | 3,850 BGN |
Where can you get paid more, working for a private company or for the government? Public sector employees in Bulgaria earn 9% more than their private sector counterparts on average across all sectors.
Private Sector | 3,130 BGN | |
Public Sector | +9% | 3,420 BGN |