Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 53-6032

Aircraft Service Attendants

Median pay sits 50% below the mid peer in Transportation and Material Moving Occupations (neighbors include Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers, Wellhead Pumpers, Ship Engineers, Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Aircraft Service Attendants: Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers ($232K) , Wellhead Pumpers ($70K) , Ship Engineers ($110K) , Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators ($77K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Aircraft Service Attendants publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 53-6032 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Apply de-icing fluid to aircraft from baskets lifted by truck-mounted cranes
  2. 2. Change aircraft oil, coolant, or other fluids
  3. 3. Clean aircraft interiors by picking up waste, wiping down windows, or vacuuming
  4. 4. Climb ladders to reach aircraft surfaces to be cleaned
  5. 5. Complete forms describing tasks completed
  6. 6. De-grease aircraft exteriors
  7. 7. Empty aircraft lavatory systems or refill them with sanitizer fluid
  8. 8. Guide aircraft to designated areas using hand signals, batons, or other methods
  9. 9. Inspect aircraft components to locate cracks, breaks, leaks, or other problems
  10. 10. Load baggage or cargo for crew or passengers
  11. 11. Mix cleaning compounds or solutions
  12. 12. Polish aircraft exteriors
Pay vs Transportation and Material Moving Occupations peers
-50%
vs mid peer median $81,410
This role $40,450/yr
$40K
National median
↑ +5%
Growth 2024-2034
4,300
Annual openings
31,300
Estimated US jobs
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Highest-pay peer · $232K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Aircraft Service Attendants

1. Maryland $71,740
2. Minnesota $46,930
3. Utah $46,900
4. Washington $50,520
5. Hawaii $53,770
6. Alaska $46,760
7. Montana $46,310
8. California $46,800
9. New Jersey $46,210
10. Tennessee $56,620

Other Transportation and Material Moving Occupations titles

  1. 1. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers $232,140
  2. 2. Wellhead Pumpers $69,960
  3. 3. Ship Engineers $109,530
  4. 4. Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators $77,320
  5. 5. Subway and Streetcar Operators $86,380
  6. 6. Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels $92,460

Among Transportation and Material Moving Occupations peers on this card, Aircraft Service Attendants sits 50% below the mid peer median ($81,410). Its own median is $40,450.

Employment Projections expect +5% change between 2024 and 2034 (faster than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 4,300 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Maryland at $71,740. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers at $232,140. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Aircraft Service Attendants pay-rank #39 in Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

On the Transportation and Material Moving Occupations median table (50 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Aircraft Service Attendants lands at #39, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 53-6032 · national median $40,450 · lower third of Transportation and Material Moving Occupations (#39/50). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Aircraft Service Attendants salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 53-6032

Maryland · top state for Aircraft Service Attendants

$72K published median

Minnesota · #2 state pay

$47K · behind Maryland

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers

Highest-pay peer vs Aircraft Service Attendants · $232K

Wellhead Pumpers

Lower-pay peer beside Aircraft Service Attendants · $70K

Compare Aircraft Service Attendants

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Aircraft Service Attendants with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Aircraft Service Attendants

Against another occupation

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Aircraft Service Attendants land on the Transportation and Material Moving Occupations median table? ▼
Aircraft Service Attendants is pay-rank #39 of 50 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand ($40K), Machine Feeders and Offbearers ($41K), Material Moving Workers, All Other ($42K), Taxi Drivers ($42K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do aircraft service attendants do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Aircraft Service Attendants. Leading ones include: Apply de-icing fluid to aircraft from baskets lifted by truck-mounted cranes; Change aircraft oil, coolant, or other fluids; Clean aircraft interiors by picking up waste, wiping down windows, or vacuuming; Climb ladders to reach aircraft surfaces to be cleaned. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
What is the OEWS national median for Aircraft Service Attendants? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $40,450 as the national median for Aircraft Service Attendants. The published 10th-90th range is $33,830 to $57,610. Beside Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers ($232,140), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Aircraft Service Attendants? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Aircraft Service Attendants is +5%. Projected annual openings: about 4,300. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: faster than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Aircraft Service Attendants? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Aircraft Service Attendants. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Aircraft Service Attendants? ▼
Maryland ($71,740), Minnesota ($46,930), Utah ($46,900) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Aircraft Service Attendants card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 53-6032. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Aircraft Service Attendants. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics