All careersEveryday & transport

Flight Attendant

$63,580
median pay per year
full range coming in the next data update

What the job actually is

Keep passengers safe and comfortable on flights, handling service, emergencies, and safety checks.

Where you work

Aircraft cabins; on your feet, close quarters, frequent travel.

The hours

Irregular; nights, weekends, holidays, and days away from home.

By the numbers

May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$63,580
per year
What most earn
range coming soon
Openings a year
~19,800
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+9%
Much faster than average
Working in the U.S.
coming soon

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

How you get in

Typical starting education

High school / no degree

Training path: Airline-paid training academy.

License or certification

Requires FAA certification earned through airline training.

You can earn while you train. This field has a genuinely paid pathway in — an apprenticeship, a paid academy, or employer-funded training — so you draw a paycheck instead of taking on debt to learn it.

What it takes

Customer serviceComposureCommunicationStamina

The honest take

Free training, flight benefits, and union pay scales — no degree.

Standard Occupational Classification 53-2031. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.