Occupation salary profile

Flight Attendants

SOC 53-2031 BLS OEWS May 2025

Monitor safety of the aircraft cabin. Provide services to airline passengers, explain safety information, serve food and beverages, and respond to emergency incidents.

National median · BLS
$63,580
▼ -5.29% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$77,440
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
131,650
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Flight Attendants

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$35,110
25th$51,760
Median (50th)$63,580
75th$95,640
90th — top pay$136,430

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Flight Attendants

BLS projects employment of flight attendants to grow 8.8% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 18,500 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
133,700 → 145,500
+11,800 jobs
Projected change
+8.8%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
18,500
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Plus less than 5 years experience
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
0.4% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a high school diploma →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Flight Attendants

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Speaking4.1
  • Active Listening3.9
  • Monitoring3.9
  • Service Orientation3.8
  • Social Perceptiveness3.8
  • Coordination3.6
  • Active Learning3.1
  • Critical Thinking3.1
  • Reading Comprehension3.1
  • Time Management3.1
Top knowledge areas
  • Customer and Personal Service4.5
  • Public Safety and Security4.5
  • English Language4.5
  • Transportation3.5
  • Psychology3.3
  • Geography3.3
  • Computers and Electronics3.2
  • Personnel and Human Resources3.0
Software and technology used
Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft WindowsAD OPT AltitudeArkitektia Flight ItineraryBid AssistantIBM Lotus LearningSpaceSBS International Maestro SuiteValtamTech Flight Crew Log

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What flight attendants do

  • Verify that first aid kits and other emergency equipment, including fire extinguishers and oxygen bottles, are in working order.
  • Announce and demonstrate safety and emergency procedures, such as the use of oxygen masks, seat belts, and life jackets.
  • Monitor passenger behavior to identify threats to the safety of the crew and other passengers.
  • Walk aisles of planes to verify that passengers have complied with federal regulations prior to takeoffs and landings.
  • Direct and assist passengers in emergency procedures, such as evacuating a plane following an emergency landing.
  • Prepare passengers and aircraft for landing, following procedures.
  • Administer first aid to passengers in distress.
  • Determine special assistance needs of passengers, such as small children, the elderly, or persons with disabilities.
Also called
Flight AttendantIn-Flight Crew MemberInternational Flight AttendantPurserInflight Services Flight Attendant
More job titles for this occupation (15)
Aircraft Cabin AgentAirline AttendantAirline Flight AttendantAirline HostessAirline StewardessAirplane Flight AttendantCabin AttendantDoor and Arrival AttendantFlight CrewFlight Crew MemberFlight HostessFlight StewardMeal AttendantRamp Flight AttendantSteward

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.