Occupation salary profile

Passenger Attendants

SOC 53-6061 BLS OEWS May 2025

Provide services to ensure the safety of passengers aboard ships, buses, trains, or within the station or terminal. Perform duties such as explaining the use of safety equipment, serving meals or beverages, or answering questions related to travel. Excludes “Baggage Porters and Bellhops” (39-6011) and “Flight Attendants” (53-2031).

National median · BLS
$37,720
▲ +0.43% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$37,820
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
27,110
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Passenger 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$27,970
25th$31,240
Median (50th)$37,720
75th$41,680
90th — top pay$46,590

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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

Job outlook for Passenger Attendants

BLS projects employment of passenger attendants to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 4,300 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
27,200 → 28,900
+1,600 jobs
Projected change
+6%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
4,300
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
1.6% 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

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Passenger 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
  • Active Listening3.8
  • Speaking3.8
  • Service Orientation3.6
  • Social Perceptiveness3.6
  • Monitoring3.3
  • Critical Thinking3.0
  • Instructing3.0
  • Persuasion3.0
  • Active Learning2.9
  • Coordination2.9
Top knowledge areas
  • Transportation4.4
  • Customer and Personal Service3.9
  • Public Safety and Security3.8
  • Personnel and Human Resources2.9
  • English Language2.7
  • Mechanical2.5
  • Psychology2.4
  • Geography2.2
Software and technology used
Microsoft Office softwareMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft WordAppointment scheduling softwareEmail softwareTime tracking software

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 passenger attendants do

  • Perform equipment safety checks prior to departure.
  • Explain and demonstrate safety procedures and safety equipment use.
  • Signal transportation operators to stop or to proceed.
  • Secure passengers for transportation by buckling seatbelts or fastening wheelchairs with tie-down straps.
  • Respond to passengers' questions, requests, or complaints.
  • Determine or facilitate seating arrangements.
  • Open and close doors for passengers.
  • Greet passengers boarding transportation equipment and announce routes and stops.
Also called
Bus AideBus AssistantBus AttendantBus MonitorAttendantCabin AttendantFare Enforcement OfficerTransportation AideTransportation AssistantTransportation Attendant
More job titles for this occupation (11)
Airport AttendantChair Car AttendantClub Car AttendantGround Transportation MonitorPassenger RepresentativePassenger Service AgentPassenger Service RepresentativeSleeping Car Service AttendantStation AttendantTavern Car AttendantTrain Attendant

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.