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Flight Attendant

$63,580
median / year
$35,110 – $136,430
what most earn per year (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

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

You may also see this posted as: In-Flight Crew Member, International Flight Attendant, Purser, Inflight Services Flight Attendant.

Where you work

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

The hours

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

The day to day

What you'd actually spend time doing

  • 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.

Good fit if you like…

Conventional

organizing information, following systems, and getting details right

Social

helping, teaching, caring for, or supporting other people

Realistic

working with tools, equipment, materials, or the physical world

O*NET job zone 2 of 5

Some preparation—often a high school credential and on-the-job learning—is usually needed.

Work styles that matter most

DependabilityCooperationAttention to DetailSelf-Control

Software that shows up in the work

Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.

Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft Windows

By the numbers

May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$63,580
per year
What most earn
$35,110–$136,430
yearly, 10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~19,800
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+9.2%
Much faster than average
Working in the U.S.
131,650
people, nationwide

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.

What it pays in your state

Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.

BLS state wage tables

How you get in

Typical starting education

High school / no degree

Training path: Airline-paid training academy.

Related work experience: Less than 5 years.

On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training.

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.

Check the path where you live

Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.

What it takes

Customer serviceComposureCommunicationStamina

The honest take

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

Standard Occupational Classification 53-2031. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.