53 Series · SOC 53-2031
Flight Attendants Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $63,580
- Median / year
- $136,430
- Top 10% earn
- +9.2%
- Growth '23–'33
- 131,650
- US workers
Flight Attendants earn a median of $63,580 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $63,580, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $35,110 (10th percentile) to $136,430 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 131,650 US workers. New York pays the most ($126,650), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Flight Attendants earn a median of $63,580, putting them above the typical US occupation and higher than 54% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Transportation and Material Moving, it ranks #14 of 50 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 9.2% by 2033.
- $63,580
- Median annual wage
- Top 46%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #14 of 50
- in Transportation and Material Moving
- 3.9×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: New York at $126,650. Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
Flight Attendants (SOC 53-2031) pays a national median of $63,580 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $35,110 at the 10th percentile to $136,430 at the 90th, with a mean of $77,440 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 131,650 Americans work in this occupation across 19 reporting states and 27 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +9.2% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as much faster than average relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 19,800 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is High school diploma or equivalent, with less than 5 years of prior experience generally required and moderate-term on-the-job training of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of C for this role, with a fatality rate of 17.5 per 100,000 and injury rate of 4.8 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. New York pays the highest state median at $126,650, which is +99% above the national figure. The top metro is New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ at $127,740 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$63,580
per year
Median Hourly
N/A
per hour
Mean Salary
$77,440
average
Employment
131,650
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Flight Attendants pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$63,580 Top 46% higher than 54% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 53-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Flight Attendants; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 24 53-series occupations with growth data, Flight Attendants sits on the faster-growing side at +9.2% growth and $63,580 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+9.2%
Much faster than average
Annual Openings
19,800
per year (projected)
Typical Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Work Experience
Less than 5 years
On-the-Job Training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Moderate Risk
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
17.5/100K
Injury Rate
4.8/100
Danger Index
28/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Flight Attendants roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ 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.
- ▸ Attend preflight briefings concerning weather, altitudes, routes, emergency procedures, crew coordination, lengths of flights, food and beverage services offered, and numbers of passengers.
- ▸ Reassure passengers when situations, such as turbulence, are encountered.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$35,110
25th Percentile
$51,760
Median
$63,580
75th Percentile
$95,640
90th Percentile
$136,430
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
Lowest Paying States
View all 19 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $126,650 | +99% above national |
| 2 | Utah | $82,730 | +30% above national |
| 3 | California | $82,170 | +29% above national |
| 4 | Georgia | $78,320 | +23% above national |
| 5 | Connecticut | $78,180 | +23% above national |
| 6 | Washington | $74,090 | +17% above national |
| 7 | Michigan | $62,490 | 2% below national |
| 8 | Ohio | $62,440 | 2% below national |
| 9 | Idaho | $62,200 | 2% below national |
| 10 | Illinois | $62,120 | 2% below national |
| 11 | Arizona | $61,780 | 3% below national |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $61,510 | 3% below national |
| 13 | Oregon | $61,480 | 3% below national |
| 14 | Minnesota | $61,230 | 4% below national |
| 15 | Colorado | $59,500 | 6% below national |
| 16 | Texas | $58,220 | 8% below national |
| 17 | Nevada | $51,800 | 19% below national |
| 18 | Florida | $47,320 | 26% below national |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $39,520 | 38% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 27 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $127,740 | +101% above national |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $89,430 | +41% above national |
| 3 | Columbus, OH | $83,450 | +31% above national |
| 4 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $82,730 | +30% above national |
| 5 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $79,390 | +25% above national |
| 6 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $78,320 | +23% above national |
| 7 | Tucson, AZ | $75,610 | +19% above national |
| 8 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $75,100 | +18% above national |
| 9 | Richmond, VA | $72,600 | +14% above national |
| 10 | Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $67,140 | +6% above national |
| 11 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $64,890 | +2% above national |
| 12 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $63,580 | same as national |
| 13 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $62,770 | 1% below national |
| 14 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $62,490 | 2% below national |
| 15 | Boise City, ID | $62,200 | 2% below national |
| 16 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $62,120 | 2% below national |
| 17 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $61,780 | 3% below national |
| 18 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $61,510 | 3% below national |
| 19 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $61,480 | 3% below national |
| 20 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $61,230 | 4% below national |
| 21 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $61,100 | 4% below national |
| 22 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $60,840 | 4% below national |
| 23 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $59,500 | 6% below national |
| 24 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $59,400 | 7% below national |
| 25 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $51,800 | 19% below national |
| 26 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $47,320 | 26% below national |
| 27 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $39,520 | 38% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 53 (transportation and material moving) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Flight Attendants make? ▼
What state pays Flight Attendants the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Flight Attendants? ▼
How dangerous is being a Flight Attendants? ▼
Is Flight Attendants a good career? ▼
How does Flight Attendants pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Flight Attendants? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Flight Attendants pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $95,640/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: New York leads at $126,650/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.