The Prospect union said the ballot – the first ever to take place at the aviation watchdog – showed 67% of members were in favour of downing tools while 87% voted to take action short of strike.
Prospect general secretary Mike Clancy said "more than a decade of real-terms pay cuts" had left its members at the CAA "with no choice but to take industrial action".
“The employer can still avert this industrial action by coming back to the table with a meaningful offer that addresses the ongoing cost-of-living crisis," added Clancy.
According to CAA interim chief executive Rob Bishton, the industrial action – while disappointing – is not expected to create disruption to operations due to the small number of staff participating.
"With a modest proportion of the Civil Aviation Authority’s workforce who are members of Prospect, should there be any action by our colleagues, we do not anticipate any disruption to the aviation sector. We continue to engage constructively with Prospect," he added.
The announcement comes amid a wave of industrial unrest across the UK aviation sector, as workers from all corners of the industry agitate for better pay and working conditions.
Just last week, a walkout at Gatwick was called off at the 11th hour after ground handler Red Handling made workers a “significantly improved” pay offer.
