From video games to a lucrative job with the FAA?

It’s true! Read more below and check out the recruitment video

Aviation Safety FILE - In this Friday, May 11, 2018 photo, a man watches a screen atop the air-traffic control tower at the empty Stepanakert airport. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, File) (Thanassis Stavrakis/AP)

By Mike Kruz

April 13, 2026 at 4:21 pm EDT

If your teen is glued to video games but shrugs at coding, here’s a plot twist: their skills might land them in one of the most high-stakes jobs in the country... air traffic control!

With a nationwide shortage, the FAA is actively recruiting gamers, pitching the role like a real-life upgrade: “level up your career” with paid training, strong benefits and six-figure earning potential within a few years.

It’s not about holding an Xbox controller, it’s about what gaming builds: fast decision-making, laser focus, and the ability to juggle complex, high-pressure scenarios. Those same skills are critical in keeping planes, and people, safe. If they’re under 31, fluent in English and ready for a challenge, this could be the ultimate boss level.

Mike Kruz

I love music. It’s really what got me into radio to begin with. You should see my record collection: from Michael Jackson and Elton John, to Led Zeppelin and The Stones, to old school hip-hop and dance music ... (Well you get the idea!)