Tampa Approach TPA
Tampa Approach (TPA) is the approach and departure control facility that public NASR records list as the primary approach control for 15 airports, 7 of them with a control tower. Pilots call it "Tampa Approach".
Airports it serves (15)
| Airport | City | Tower |
|---|---|---|
| Albert Whitted Airport (KSPG) | St Petersburg, FL | Tower (page) |
| Bartow Executive Airport (KBOW) | Bartow, FL | Tower (page) |
| Brooksville–Tampa Bay Regional Airport (KBKV) | Brooksville, FL | Tower (page) |
| Lakeland Linder International Airport (KLAL) | Lakeland, FL | Tower (page) |
| MacDill Air Force Base (KMCF) | Tampa, FL | Tower (page) |
| Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (KSRQ) | Sarasota/bradenton, FL | Tower (page) |
| St. Petersburg Clearwater International Airport (KPIE) | St Petersburg-clearwater, FL | Tower (page) |
| Clearwater Air Park (KCLW) | Clearwater, FL | No tower |
| Peter O Knight Airport (KTPF) | Tampa, FL | No tower |
| Plant City Municipal Airport (KPCM) | Plant City, FL | No tower |
| Tampa Executive Airport (KVDF) | Tampa, FL | No tower |
| Tampa International Airport (KTPA) | Tampa, FL | No tower |
| Venice Municipal Airport (KVNC) | Venice, FL | No tower |
| Winter Haven Regional Airport - Gilbert Field (KGIF) | Winter Haven, FL | No tower |
| Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (KZPH) | Zephyrhills, FL | No tower |
Pay level
The FAA rates this facility level 10 on its scale of 4 to 12. Busier, more complex facilities get higher levels, and higher levels pay more. A fully certified controller at a level 10 facility was paid between $117,827 and $159,065 a year in 2025, before the local cost-of-living addition. Overtime, night and Sunday pay come on top.
Level: National Academies (2025), The Air Traffic Controller Workforce Imperative, Appendix C, Table C-2, which reproduces FAA data with staffing as of September 23, 2023; the FAA may have changed the level since. Pay range: FAA pay band table effective January 12, 2025, as posted by NATCA.
Source
FAA National Airspace System Resource (NASR) data, 28-day cycle effective 2026-10-01 (FAA NASR subscription). Facility data changes every 28 days; check current FAA publications before flight.
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