How much do flight attendants make?
Answer
Flight attendants in the US earned a median of $63,580 a year in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $51,760 to $95,640.
- Median annual pay
- $63,580
- Mean $77,440
- Median hourly pay
- Annual only
- BLS publishes annual pay only for this occupation
- Typical range (10th–90th)
- $35.1K–$136K
- $35,110 to $136,430
- US jobs
- 131,650
- +8.8% projected, 2025–35
BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology
How to become a flight attendant: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: New York
Flight Attendant pay range
Annual wages, May 2025
- 10th percentile$35,110
- 25th percentile$51,760
- Median$63,580
- 75th percentile$95,640
- 90th percentile$136,430
Half of all flight attendants earned more than $63,580 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $35,110; the top 10% made over $136,430. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $51,760 to $95,640.
These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $35,110 | — | $2,926 |
| 25th | $51,760 | — | $4,313 |
| Median (50th) | $63,580 | — | $5,298 |
| 75th | $95,640 | — | $7,970 |
| 90th | $136,430 | — | $11,369 |
| Mean (average) | $77,440 | — | $6,453 |
Flight Attendant salary by state
Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024
Highest-paying states
- 1. New York $126,650
- 2. Utah $82,730
- 3. California $82,170
- 4. Georgia $78,320
- 5. Connecticut $78,180
Lowest-paying states
- 19. Pennsylvania $39,520
- 18. Florida $47,320
- 17. Nevada $51,800
- 16. Texas $58,220
- 15. Colorado $59,500
Best after cost of living: New York. Its median of $126,650 is worth about $117,354 at national-average prices.
| Alabama | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Arizona | $61,780 | 11 | $61,365 | 12 | — | 4,590 | 1.42 |
| Arkansas | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| California | $82,170 | 3 | $74,214 | 5 | — | 15,840 | 0.87 |
| Colorado | $59,500 | 15 | $57,738 | 16 | — | 7,110 | 2.47 |
| Connecticut | $78,180 | 5 | $75,456 | 4 | — | 250 | 0.15 |
| Delaware | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Florida | $47,320 | 18 | $45,758 | 18 | — | 13,220 | 1.33 |
| Georgia | $78,320 | 4 | $81,335 | 3 | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Idaho | $62,200 | 9 | $65,135 | 8 | — | — | — |
| Illinois | $62,120 | 10 | $62,146 | 10 | — | 9,350 | 1.53 |
| Indiana | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Kentucky | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Louisiana | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | $61,510 | 12 | $58,162 | 15 | — | 4,390 | 1.21 |
| Michigan | $62,490 | 7 | $64,947 | 9 | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | $61,230 | 14 | $62,086 | 11 | — | 4,050 | 1.37 |
| Mississippi | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Missouri | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nevada | $51,800 | 17 | $51,811 | 17 | — | 4,040 | 2.60 |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| New York | $126,650 | 1 | $117,354 | 1 | — | 12,060 | 1.25 |
| North Carolina | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ohio | $62,440 | 8 | $67,303 | 7 | — | 990 | 0.18 |
| Oklahoma | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oregon | $61,480 | 13 | $59,481 | 14 | — | 980 | 0.50 |
| Pennsylvania | $39,520 | 19 | $40,503 | 19 | — | 2,290 | 0.38 |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| South Carolina | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tennessee | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Texas | $58,220 | 16 | $59,985 | 13 | — | 13,470 | 0.96 |
| Utah | $82,730 | 2 | $83,681 | 2 | — | 2,490 | 1.44 |
| Vermont | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Virginia | — | — | — | — | — | 3,900 | 0.95 |
| Washington | $74,090 | 6 | $69,235 | 6 | — | — | — |
| West Virginia | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wisconsin | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wyoming | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure (32 states). State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.
Best-paying metro areas for flight attendants
27 metro areas with published pay
| Metro area | Median | Adjusted | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $127,740 | $113,483 | 18,030 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $89,430 | $77,353 | 4,420 |
| Columbus, OH | $83,450 | $87,411 | 290 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $82,730 | $82,018 | — |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $79,390 | $69,906 | 10,080 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $78,320 | $78,275 | — |
| Tucson, AZ | $75,610 | $78,032 | — |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $75,100 | $67,577 | — |
| Richmond, VA | $72,600 | $74,189 | 40 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $67,140 | $67,916 | — |
| Metro area | Jobs | Median | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 18,030 | $127,740 | $113,483 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 10,080 | $79,390 | $69,906 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 9,240 | $62,120 | $59,964 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 8,100 | $47,320 | $41,452 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 7,680 | $61,100 | $59,269 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 6,930 | $59,500 | $56,248 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 4,510 | $61,780 | $59,797 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 4,420 | $89,430 | $77,353 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 4,310 | $61,510 | $56,814 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 4,060 | $61,230 | $58,413 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).
What moves flight attendant pay: employers and settings
Flight attendant pay is set mostly by each airline's union contract and by seniority, not by individual negotiation. Contracts set the pay scale for each year of service and limit how many hours you can work in a day and a month. Senior flight attendants get first pick of trips, so they can choose higher-paying international flying or pick up extra hours, while new hires on reserve take what is assigned.
The airline you work for matters more than anything else. Scheduled airlines employ 97% of flight attendants and have a median of $63,570. Charter and other nonscheduled carriers pay a median of $70,700 and airport support companies pay $59,020.
State medians mostly reflect which airlines base crews there. New York has a median of $126,650, far above Utah at $82,730, the second highest. New York still leads after adjusting for living costs at $117,354. Pennsylvania is lowest at $39,520.
Across the occupation, pay runs from $35,110, the 10th percentile, to $136,430, the 90th. Seniority, base, hours flown and international or lead assignments explain much of that spread, and new hires often start near the bottom.
| Industry | Share of jobs | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Air Transportation | 97% | $63,570 |
| Nonscheduled Air Transportation | 1.6% | $70,700 |
| Support Activities for Air Transportation | 1% | $59,020 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 0.1% | — |
| Employer type | Jobs | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Private employers | 131,650 | $63,580 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).
Flight Attendant pay over time
Median annual pay, 2015–2025
- 2015
- 2016
- 2017
- 2018
- 2019
- 2020
- 2021
- 2022
- 2023
- 2024
- 2025
The median rose from $44,860 in 2015 to $63,580 in 2025, up 42% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2015 median is worth $60,642 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay grew 5% over the period.
BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.
What flight attendants do
A flight attendant is a trained safety crew member who works in the passenger cabin of an airliner. The beverage cart is the visible part of the job, but federal rules require flight attendants on board because of what they do in an emergency: direct an evacuation, fight a cabin fire, give first aid, and manage disruptive or threatening passengers.
Nearly all flight attendants, 97% in our data, work for scheduled passenger airlines, from regional carriers flying 50-seat jets to major airlines on long international routes. A small number work for charter operators and corporate flight departments. Each flight attendant is assigned to a home base airport, and trips can last one day or several, with layovers in hotels the airline pays for.
Before each flight the crew is briefed, checks emergency equipment and secures the galley. In flight they serve passengers, watch the cabin, and handle medical problems and turbulence. On the ground they help with boarding and deplaning. The job means long stretches on your feet, irregular hours, nights away from home and one of the higher injury rates of any occupation.
A typical day
- Report for the trip briefing with pilots and cabin crew on flight time, weather, passenger count and service plan
- Check that oxygen bottles, fire extinguishers, first aid kits and defibrillators are on board and working
- Greet boarding passengers, help find space for carry-on bags, and seat passengers in exit rows only if they can assist in an evacuation
- Give the safety demonstration and walk the aisle to check seat belts, tray tables and overhead bins before takeoff and landing
- Serve food and drinks, sell onboard items, and keep the galley secured during turbulence
- Respond to sick passengers, calm nervous fliers and deal with unruly behavior
- File reports on equipment problems, medical events or incidents after the flight
Also called: stewardess, in-flight crew member, inflight services flight attendant, international flight attendant, purser.
How to become a flight attendant
Full guideTo become a flight attendant, you need a high school diploma or GED, usually 1 to 2 years of customer service experience, and a valid passport. After an airline hires you, you complete its initial training of several weeks and earn the FAA Certificate of Demonstrated Proficiency. The process often takes a few months to a year.
- Typical time
- 6 months to 2 years
- Fastest: About 3 months
- Minimum education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- License
- No state license; FAA Certificate of Demonstrated Proficiency required for all US airline flight attendants
- Typical training cost
- No tuition
- See the guide for what it includes
Read the step-by-step guide to becoming a flight attendant: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.
Is it worth it? Training cost against pay
Compare careers- Training time
- 6 months to 2 years
- Typical path in our guide
- Training cost
- No tuition
- Tuition and exam fees, before aid
- Median pay
- $63,580
- $12,600 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
- Cost vs. one year's pay
- 0–0%
- Training cost as a share of a year at the median
The typical path into this job has no tuition cost (training is employer-provided or paid), so there is nothing to repay. This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.
Job outlook for flight attendants
BLS Employment Projections 2025–35
- Projected growth
- +8.8%
- All occupations +3.5%
- Jobs in 2025
- 133,700
- 145,500 projected for 2035
- Openings each year
- 18,500
- New jobs plus replacements
- Self-employed
- 0.4%
- Not in the pay figures above
BLS projects flight attendant jobs to grow from 133,700 in 2025 to 145,500 in 2035, an increase of 8.8%, compared with 3.5% for all occupations. About 18,500 openings are expected each year, many of them to replace flight attendants who leave the job or retire.
Growth depends on how much people fly, especially leisure travelers. Because the FAA requires a minimum number of flight attendants based on the number of seats on each plane, more flights and larger aircraft translate directly into more jobs. Airline hiring is sensitive to the economy, though, and can slow sharply when travel demand drops.
Related careers and their pay
- TSA Officer$66,770
- Air Traffic Controller$148,080
- Airline Pilot$232,140
- Commercial Pilot$123,220
- Bus Driver$59,050
- Train Conductor$78,000
Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Flight Attendant salary FAQ
Which state pays flight attendants the most?
New York has the highest median pay for flight attendants, $126,650 a year, followed by Utah ($82,730) and California ($82,170). After adjusting for each state's price level, New York comes out ahead at about $117,354 in national-average dollars.
Do flight attendants make six figures?
Some do: based on the BLS percentiles, between 10% and 25% of flight attendants earn more than $100,000 a year. The median is $63,580, and the top 10% earn more than $136,430. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.
What do flight attendants make when they start?
BLS does not publish pay by years of experience. The lowest-paid 10% of flight attendants earn less than $35,110 a year and the lowest-paid quarter less than $51,760. New workers are often in the lower part of the range, but percentiles also reflect location, employer and hours, not only experience.
How many flight attendants are required on a plane?
FAA rules for US airlines set the minimum by seating capacity. Planes with 10 to 50 seats need one flight attendant (20 to 50 for the smallest-payload aircraft), planes with 51 to 100 seats need two, and larger planes need two plus one more for each additional 50 seats or part of 50. Airlines often staff above the minimum for service, and the number used in the aircraft's evacuation test can also raise the requirement.
Do flight attendants work holidays and weekends?
Yes, often. Airlines fly every day, including overnight, so flight attendants regularly work nights, weekends and holidays, and they may spend several nights a week away from home. Seniority decides who gets the most popular days off. New hires on reserve have the least control, while senior flight attendants can bid for schedules that keep holidays free.
Where do flight attendants make the most?
In our data, New York has the highest state median at $126,650, partly because large airlines base international crews there. Utah, California, Georgia and Connecticut follow, from Utah at $82,730, down to Connecticut at $78,180. Nevada, Florida and Pennsylvania are at the low end, with Pennsylvania lowest at $39,520. Your base is assigned by the airline, often by seniority, so new hires usually cannot pick where they live and work.
Sources
Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 53-2031
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
- O*NET 31.0 Database (53-2031.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
- Flight Attendants, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
- Flight Attendants (53-2031.00), O*NET OnLine · checked October 28, 2026
- Become a flight attendant: Frequently asked questions, American Airlines · checked October 28, 2026
- 14 CFR 121.421 Flight attendants: Initial and transition ground training, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations · checked October 28, 2026
- 14 CFR 121.391 Flight attendants, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations · checked October 28, 2026
- 14 CFR 121.467 Flight attendant duty period limitations and rest requirements, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations · checked October 28, 2026
- License Finder, CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor · checked October 28, 2026
Careers and Salaries is not affiliated with the Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Found an error? Tell us; corrections are listed on the editorial policy page.