53 Series · SOC 53-6061
Passenger 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).
- $37,720
- Median / year
- $46,590
- Top 10% earn
- +4.7%
- Growth '23–'33
- 27,110
- US workers
Passenger Attendants earn a median of $37,720 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $37,720, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $27,970 (10th percentile) to $46,590 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 27,110 US workers. Alaska pays the most ($54,290), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Passenger Attendants earn a median of $37,720, putting them among the lower-paid US occupations and higher than 8% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Transportation and Material Moving, it ranks #42 of 50 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 4.7% by 2033.
- $37,720
- Median annual wage
- Top 92%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #42 of 50
- in Transportation and Material Moving
- 1.7×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Alaska at $54,290. Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
Passenger Attendants (SOC 53-6061) pays a national median of $37,720 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $27,970 at the 10th percentile to $46,590 at the 90th, with a mean of $37,820 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 27,110 Americans work in this occupation across 30 reporting states and 36 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +4.7% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as about average relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 4,100 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 and short-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. Alaska pays the highest state median at $54,290, which is +44% above the national figure. The top metro is Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV at $49,190 - 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
$37,720
per year
Median Hourly
$18.14/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$37,820
average
Employment
27,110
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Passenger Attendants pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$37,720 Bottom 8% higher than 8% 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 Passenger Attendants; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 25 53-series occupations with growth data, Passenger Attendants sits on the slower-growing side at +4.7% growth and $37,720 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+4.7%
About average
Annual Openings
4,100
per year (projected)
Typical Education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-Job Training
Short-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 Passenger Attendants roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Secure passengers for transportation by buckling seatbelts or fastening wheelchairs with tie-down straps.
- ▸ Provide customers with information on routes, gates, prices, timetables, terminals, or concourses.
- ▸ Perform equipment safety checks prior to departure.
- ▸ Provide boarding assistance to elderly, sick, or injured people.
- ▸ Respond to passengers' questions, requests, or complaints.
- ▸ Greet passengers boarding transportation equipment and announce routes and stops.
- ▸ Count and verify tickets and seat reservations and record numbers of passengers boarding and disembarking.
- ▸ Explain and demonstrate safety procedures and safety equipment use.
- ▸ Open and close doors for passengers.
- ▸ Determine or facilitate seating arrangements.
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
$27,970
25th Percentile
$31,240
Median
$37,720
75th Percentile
$41,680
90th Percentile
$46,590
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
Lowest Paying States
View all 30 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $54,290 | +44% above national |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $52,730 | +40% above national |
| 3 | Kentucky | $44,810 | +19% above national |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $43,350 | +15% above national |
| 5 | California | $43,340 | +15% above national |
| 6 | Hawaii | $42,360 | +12% above national |
| 7 | Washington | $41,760 | +11% above national |
| 8 | New York | $41,590 | +10% above national |
| 9 | Michigan | $40,250 | +7% above national |
| 10 | Oregon | $39,910 | +6% above national |
| 11 | New Jersey | $39,760 | +5% above national |
| 12 | Illinois | $38,930 | +3% above national |
| 13 | Virginia | $38,810 | +3% above national |
| 14 | Colorado | $37,550 | same as national |
| 15 | Arizona | $36,820 | 2% below national |
| 16 | North Carolina | $35,740 | 5% below national |
| 17 | Connecticut | $34,320 | 9% below national |
| 18 | Missouri | $34,110 | 10% below national |
| 19 | Maryland | $33,350 | 12% below national |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $33,000 | 13% below national |
| 21 | Oklahoma | $32,920 | 13% below national |
| 22 | Nevada | $32,130 | 15% below national |
| 23 | Texas | $31,230 | 17% below national |
| 24 | Florida | $29,680 | 21% below national |
| 25 | South Carolina | $28,710 | 24% below national |
| 26 | Tennessee | $27,380 | 27% below national |
| 27 | Georgia | $26,330 | 30% below national |
| 28 | Ohio | $26,220 | 30% below national |
| 29 | Utah | $25,840 | 31% below national |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $24,650 | 35% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 36 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $49,190 | +30% above national |
| 2 | Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area | $46,030 | +22% above national |
| 3 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $44,810 | +19% above national |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $44,800 | +19% above national |
| 5 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $43,580 | +16% above national |
| 6 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $43,350 | +15% above national |
| 7 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $42,360 | +12% above national |
| 8 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $41,760 | +11% above national |
| 9 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $41,590 | +10% above national |
| 10 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $39,920 | +6% above national |
| 11 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $39,460 | +5% above national |
| 12 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $39,100 | +4% above national |
| 13 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $38,530 | +2% above national |
| 14 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $38,250 | +1% above national |
| 15 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $37,970 | +1% above national |
| 16 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $37,770 | same as national |
| 17 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $37,680 | same as national |
| 18 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $37,550 | same as national |
| 19 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $36,810 | 2% below national |
| 20 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $35,740 | 5% below national |
| 21 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $35,030 | 7% below national |
| 22 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $34,750 | 8% below national |
| 23 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $34,180 | 9% below national |
| 24 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $33,350 | 12% below national |
| 25 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $32,900 | 13% below national |
| 26 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $32,240 | 15% below national |
| 27 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $31,750 | 16% below national |
| 28 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $31,240 | 17% below national |
| 29 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $30,440 | 19% below national |
| 30 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $28,710 | 24% below national |
| 31 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $27,390 | 27% below national |
| 32 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $27,380 | 27% below national |
| 33 | El Paso, TX | $26,410 | 30% below national |
| 34 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $26,330 | 30% below national |
| 35 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $26,140 | 31% below national |
| 36 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $23,490 | 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 Passenger Attendants make? ▼
What state pays Passenger Attendants the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Passenger Attendants? ▼
How dangerous is being a Passenger Attendants? ▼
Is Passenger Attendants a good career? ▼
How does Passenger Attendants pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Passenger Attendants? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Passenger Attendants pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $41,680/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: Alaska leads at $54,290/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.