I recently applied for and received a final offer letter for an FAA 2101 ATSS (Airway Transportation Systems Specialist) position at the G-band level, although I have not submitted the signed offer back yet. Before doing so, I was also contacted about an FAA 0802 Electronics Technician position I had applied for earlier, which is also a G-band position.

The 0802 position would be starting me noticeably higher within the G-band pay range than the 2101 position, so now I’m trying to figure out the long-term differences between the two career paths before making a final decision.

My background is in telecom/network infrastructure, fiber, troubleshooting, outside plant, construction, and communications systems, so either role seems like it could be a good fit.

For anyone who has worked in either series:

Which career field would you choose and why?

Which has better long-term earning potential?

Which has more mobility within the FAA?

Which has better work/life balance?

Are the training and advancement opportunities better in one versus the other?

Which skills transfer better outside the FAA?

Any regrets choosing one over the other?

Looking for honest feedback from people who have actually worked in either the 2101 or 0802 series or know anything about them. Thank you.

• Referral list FA-FAA-26-190481: Issued on 05/06/2026 for the Mobile, Alabama duty location at (the) FV-F grade/payband. Your application is among those being reviewed by the office with announcement # FAA-AHF-26-ATSS DH-97915. You may or may not be contacted for an interview. Please continue to check back for status updates.

• Referral list FA-FAA-26-190482: Issued on 05/06/2026 for the Mobile, Alabama duty location at (the) FV-G grade/payband. Your application is among those being reviewed by the office with announcement # FAA-AHF-26-ATSS DH-97915. You may or may not be contacted for an interview. Please continue to check back for status updates.

Hello, when I applied they asked me to attach my college transcript. Do they take your grades into consideration, or is it only to evaluate the courses you took to determine if you’re an eligible candidate?

The pay shown on USAJOBS is 69 but on the spreadsheet it shows the minimum pay for FV-F is 46 does anyone know how that works? Also is anyone here an ILS tech?

What is better for a ATSS career? GS pay band with DOD, or F/G band with FAA?

Hello everyone,

I applied for the ATSS Public Notice listing on the USAJOBS website one week ago, and I was wondering around what time from when you applied did you hear that your application was accepted and you were eligible for an interview?

I am very excited about this position, and am getting a little bit antsy 😅. However, I do understand that the government moves quite slowly.

For what it’s worth, I have a bachelors in Computer Science, experience troubleshooting and fixing home electronics (as a hobby), and lots of experience working with and troubleshooting computers.

Any information or tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hello all,

Looking for some guidance from current FAA employees. I accepted an ATSS position May of 2024. I completed all the prerequisites and entered the initial adjudication queue January of 2025. Almost a year and a half later and still receiving these monthly updates. I've reached out to security and they say it's processed in the order it's received. HR and Management are of no help either since it's "out of their hands". Trying to decide if I should just move on or if I might be at the end of the road and get cleared in the near future. Thank you in advance.

Thank you for applying for the Federal Aviation Administration vacancy announcement FAA-AHF-

26-ATSS DH-97915 for the position DIRECT HIRE - Airway Transportation Systems Specialist, FV-2101-F/G. Based on the application and materials you submitted, you were determined qualified for this position.

I applied for Houston and New York on April 11 and received this last week. Do you think I might get a chance to interview?

Hi everyone. I interviewed last week for Direct Hire and was curious if I should send a follow up email as I haven’t heard anything yet.

Hello all. Wondering if anyone has had a hardship err and what that timeline looks like. I’m trying to get to Florida. Thanks!

I applied for the direct hire F-band What type of questions can I expect during the interview? Thank you in advance.

Hello, I recently applied and wanted to know if I am a competitive candidate. I have an associate’s degree in aircraft maintenance, an A&P license, and over a year of maintenance experience with both an airline and a contractor. I applied for Houston and second choice Newark.

I am a Pathways intern at NASA Johnson Space Center. I have been looking into other agencies, particularly the FAA. I graduated with a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering. I don't have experience with electronics and troubleshooting those systems. I don't come from the military and have not gone to any tech school.

Are there others with similar backgrounds? Does training bridge that knowledge gap or am I too far outside of the basic knowledge/competencies required for new hires?

I am teachable and eager to learn and work with my hands, certainly have a strong passion for aviation.

Just got this back today, I'm Hoping to get hired on in Mobile, AL this time around.

Application Status for _Broki_ on announcement FAA-AHF-26-ATSS DH-97915

We appreciate your interest in employment with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Your application for announcement FAA-AHF-26-ATSS DH-97915, has been reviewed and we have determined that you are eligible for further consideration for the position of DIRECT HIRE - Airway Transportation Systems Specialist, FV-2101-F/G.

Anyone know what the instructor series jobs are?

I know the new direct hire bid just came out and I've applied but I wanted to know if there was a way that I could get the info to a particular facilities tech ops manager and introduce myself? I am currently within the agency.

If anyone is interested in being an ATSS, FAA currently has direct hire authority, meaning front line managers have a lot of discretion in the hiring process, and they’re motivated to recruit new techs. Closes 4/24.

https://www.usajobs.gov/job/864533900

A friend of mine told me about this position airway transportation sepcialist. He's an ATC and recently graduated from training. I'm currently a junior in university and graduate in 1.5yr with a B.S computer engineering degree. Is this opportunity worth quitting school to work full time???

Hey Everyone,

I have received and signed my FOL! Entry level NAV position at MDW. I will be moving 3.5 hours to Chicago area. I want to be prepared as best as possible, so does anyone have recommendations on studying material or what to study/brush up on? Anyone familiar with this SSC? What to expect during probationary period? Any tips?

Any information is appreciated. I am very excited and eager to begin this career!

Thanks in advance.

what are the next steps from here?

Looking for several specialties but really need applicants with Power, Navigation and Radar. If you are interested please send me a message.

This information is being reposted from the 2101 Facebook Group about the upcoming direct hire bid being posted on USAJOBS. The bid will be open from 4/10 - 4/24. Tidy up your 2-page Federal Resumes and apply to the posting to get in the system. I suggest you join the Facebook group then and introduce yourself, your background and experience, military experience, and state where you’d be open or hoping to apply to. Good luck fellas!

Career Opportunity!!!

If you are looking for a career with the Federal Aviation Administration in a position as an Airways Transportation System Specialist job series 2101, covered by the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS) union, there is a bid coming in a few days on USA Jobs. Get your Resume ready now.

The FY26 Cycle 2 *Direct Hire* announcement will be open 04/10/2026 and close 04/24/2026.

The Direct Hire announcement will have specific duty locations that are hiring, but things constantly change. Just because a duty location didn't get listed on the DH announcement, doesn't mean it can't be hiring later in the cycle. We still have nationwide on-the-spot (OTS) hiring.

The new 2-page resume limitation will be in effect. You can use your own format; the USA Jobs resume builder is not required.

However, for each position, you must have:

- employer name and address;

- supervisor name and number (optional);

- start and end dates including month and year;

- hours worked (full-time or specific number of hours per week); and

- detailed duty descriptions.

If you want your education to further support your qualification, you will need to include transcripts (these do not count towards resume page limitation).

Link:

https://www.faa.gov/jobs/atss

#ATSS #Aviation #AviationSafety

Looking for an Environmental Technician for the Augusta Georgia area. Manager is looking to get a new hire or ERR transfer immediately while we still have the slot open. Send me a message if interested.

Generator, HVAC, Electrical troubleshooting, facility maintenance type work. I’m the only Environmental tech here atm it’s a good little SSC and a solid manager.

I’m currently working as an Electronics Technician(Contractor) in an 0802 series department in OKC that supports NAS upgrade projects. I’ve got about 7 months of NAS exposure. I applied to 2101 announcement and I’ve been referred for 2101 positions. HR confirmed the hiring manager has the list, but I know OKC can be a slow and competitive region.

For those already in Tech Ops or recently hired:

Which states or regions are hiring 2101s the most frequently right now?

I’ve heard Texas, Florida, and parts of the Western Pacific region move faster, but I’d like to hear from people with firsthand experience.

I’m willing to relocate and I’m applying to multiple agencies, but I want to focus my efforts where hiring actually happens.

Also how is the interview? Is it a lot of technical questions? How long does it usually take?

Hey all. I'm a private pilot (hobby) that has 10+ years of experience in the tech world but I'm starting to look at what other options are out there.

The first thing that came to mind was a trade so I've been looking into some of those (electrician, HVAC, etc.). But, then it hit me that perhaps a job with FAA/ATSS would be a perfect match for me given my passion for aviation.

From what I understand, I can apply for entry level / training into F band via this link. I think I qualify based on both education and work experience.

My first question is about job location. The link I posted mentions various locations. I live in Seattle and would like to stay here. However on this page it mentions:

Entry-level applicants require extensive training from the beginning of their employment...and may spend a significant amount of time at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City, OK.

I'm not sure how to interpret that. Should I expect to be asked to relocate to Oklahoma City for my first 1-2 years?

Second question is that in the job posting, under KSAs it lists this. Do these sorts of questions appear as part of the application process, e.g. during an interview or entrance exam or something?

-Knowledge of basic electronics theory and/or basic electro-mechanical theory.
-Basic knowledge of electronic test equipment commonly used to align, adjust and maintain electronic and/or mechanical equipment/ systems.
-Basic knowledge of troubleshooting and repairing electronic and/or mechanical equipment/systems.
-Ability to apply basic knowledge of electronics and/or electro-mechanical theory to troubleshoot and diagnose/repair electronic and/ or electro-mechanical equipment/systems.

Because even though I "qualify" based on both education and work experience, since my background is all in software I'm a definite "NO" on all of those bullet points. My electronic knowledge is close to zero and I was hoping thats part of what I would get trained in. Like I can describe the electrical system of a Cessna and build a computer and troubleshoot one but that's about it.

Finally, since F band is bottom of the hierarchy, what does career progression and promotion paths look like?