Air Traffic Controller Relocation Calculator: Moving to Denver and Northern Colorado

Thinking about bidding Denver Center, Denver TRACON, DEN tower or another Front Range facility? See what Denver-area locality pay would do to your salary, how much home that buys, and which Northern Colorado towns fit your budget.

How it works

• Your current salary is divided by your current locality rate to get your core salary, then multiplied by the 2026 Denver-Aurora locality rate of 30.52%. Locality rates are from OPM's 2026 pay tables.
• Denver Center in Longmont, Denver TRACON, DEN tower, Centennial and Rocky Mountain Metro all fall in the Denver-Aurora locality pay area, which also covers Boulder, Broomfield, Larimer and Weld counties.
• If you'd move to a facility at a different level, your core salary will change too. Enter your expected core salary at the new facility to account for that. Pay caps still apply.
• The comfortable price follows the common 28/36 guideline: housing costs up to 28% of gross income and total debts up to 36%. The stretch price allows total debts up to about 45%, which many lenders approve. It assumes a 30-year fixed rate, Colorado's roughly 0.55% property tax rate and about $4,000 a year for homeowners insurance. Veterans may qualify for VA loans with no down payment.
• Town prices are average single-family sale prices from the last six months of MLS data (October 2026), rounded. Every town has homes above and below its average.

Unofficial estimate for planning only. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the FAA or NATCA. Actual pay is set by FAA policy, your facility level and pay caps. Not a loan approval. Matt Starr, New Horizons Real Estate Team, brokered by LoKation Real Estate.