A Flight Attendant’s Salary: How to Become a Flight Attendant 

Any person who has flown the friendly skies knows that their experience is managed and highlighted by a group of flight professionals, our flight attendants.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), there are 45,000 daily flights—and 16.4 million annually. Each and every one of these flights needs a cabin crew trained and poised to handle every type of circumstance. 

As these crew members patiently navigate repetitive instructions, issue safety directives, and assuage frayed nerves, our flight attendants are the unsung heroes of every vacation, every business trip, and every flight-based travel experience. 

If you’ve ever found yourself curious about a job that moves you around the world—or at least moves you throughout a specific travel corridor—a cabin crew position is an interesting role with a slew of prerequisites, unlike other jobs. For example, there are not many jobs that require top-tier interpersonal skills and the ability to swim 25 yards. 

Does a flight attendant’s average base salary match up with the work they do? What does it take to be a great flight attendant? What is the highest salary I can earn by becoming a flight attendant? 

Finally, find out why flight attendants are one of the most quickly-growing jobs right now. 

A Flight Attendant Job Description

Flight attendants have a demanding job that requires frequent mobility, an ability to work in confined spaces, extreme patience and pose, and the ability to navigate stressful situations. We’ve all seen a viral video where a flight attendant is attempting to diffuse a tense situation or talk an individual through their frustration. 

Flight attendants can be expected to act as hospitality, first responders, therapists, and safety experts in the span of one flight. In addition to ensuring the safety of every individual aboard a flight, the cabin crew is also tasked with keeping an eye out for any suspicious or potentially dangerous activities. 

Flight attendant jobs also require physical requirements, which vary from airline to airline. Most flight attendants will undergo an eye exam to ensure that they can see both long and short-distance. However, most aspiring flight attendants may use corrective lenses to take their exams. 

Other airlines might have enhanced physical requirements including:

• Height restrictions 
• Ability to stand for prolonged periods of time
• Ability to lift over 25 lbs 
• Ability to swim 
• Training in First Aid + CPR

How to Become a Flight Attendant

Before applying for a flight attendant position, take a look at this laundry list of prerequisites, qualifications, and skills. 

While a flight attendant position is a high–paying salary position that does not typically require a degree, it does require the equivalent of a doctorate in people skills. 

Necessary Skills for Flight Attendants:

• Excellent verbal and non-verbal communication
• Customer service skills and hospitality awareness
• Ability to manage unruly customers
• Ability to de-escalate tense or disruptive interactions
• Heightened empathy, emotional intelligence, and cultural awareness (especially for International flight attendant positions) 
• Debt problem-solving and decision-making skills
• Confidence and assertiveness
• Ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• Knowledge of aviation safety and security
• Food and beverage service skills
• Dependability and reliability

Responsibilities of a Flight Attendant

• Deliver pre-flight briefings and safety checks to the passenger
• Prepares aircraft between flights, ensuring cabin areas meet cleanliness standards.
• Ensures food, beverages, and other supplies are on board and sufficiently stocked.
• Greets passengers and assists with safe and balanced distributions of bags and carry-on items throughout the cabin 
• Manages in-flight food and beverage services
• Readily fields customer inquiries
• Ensures the comfort of airline passengers from end to end 
• Responds to any in-flight emergencies and administers first aid treatment or emergency medical care when necessary 
• Knowledge and use of safety equipment in case s of emergency 
• Assists passengers with a safe and expedited exit 
• Prepares flight reports
• Keeps a professional appearance for the entirety of the flight

Finally, let’s talk about the prerequisites for a flight attendant. According to U.S. News and World Report and our own highest salaries report, flight attendant positions are one of the most high-paying jobs one can acquire without a college degree. 

Requirements for Flight Attendants

• 18 years of age 
• High school diploma or equivalent
• Background in hospitality and service

Certifications for Flight Attendants 

Once new flight attendants complete their initial training program, they’ll also need to earn their certification from the FAA. This certification will allow flight attendants to work on specific aircraft. Specialized training is required for each type of aircraft. 

Flight attendants who are certified to work on a variety of planes can take advantage of a fuller schedule and travel more routes.

Finally, flight attendants undergo annual recurrent training to ensure that their certifications are always up to date. 

What is the Average Flight Attendant Salary? 

According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for a flight attendant is $62,280. 

According to percentile wages from BLS, the top 10 percent of flight attendants earn a mean salary of $81,400. 

State by state, flight attendants’ salaries vary, as well. These are the top-earning states and their corresponding annual mean wages. 

The Top-Paying US States for Flight Attendants 

1. Connecticut: $111,500
2. Hawaii: 104,110
3. New York: 69,250
4. Massachusetts: 67,010
5. Oregon: 65,550

The Worst-Paying States for Flight Attendants

1. Wisconsin: $47,650
2. Virginia: $48,840
3. Colorado: $52,220
4. Minnesota: $53,900
5. Illinois: $56,700

Real Flight Attendant Salaries from The Salary Project

• Flight Attendant, Age 27, Charlotte, NC, $39,000
• Flight Attendant, Age 39, Miami, FL, $48,000
• Flight Attendant, Age 43, San Francisco, CA, $74,540

Related Flight + Aviation Jobs from The Salary Project 

• Flight Coordinator, Age 26, Houston, TX, $49,000 
• Air Traffic Coordinator, Age 34, Atlanta, GS, $39,000
• Air Export Manager, Age 33, Boston, MA $85,000

How to Increase Your Compensation as a Flight Attendant

If you’re looking for how to make top dollar as a flight attendant, you’ve come to the right place. There are a few ways to earn extra income as a flight attendant.

Some top airlines also offer additional pay opportunities, including cash bonuses, commissions, tips, and profit-sharing. 

For more advice on how to earn extra income as a flight attendant, try resources like Quora, where real flight attendants share their own best tips and tricks for earning top dollar while they travel. 

Enroll in Hospitality or Tourism Classes

While flight attendant jobs can be obtained without a high school diploma, many airlines will prefer a candidate with a demonstrated interest and experience in hospitality and tourism. 

Candidates who have taken classes in hospitality, communication, tourism, and public relations will be preferential. Browse your local community college’s courses or find easily accessible online courses to make yourself a more viable candidate. 

Pro Tip: Since most fight attendants will apply through a major airline, it’s pretty much a guarantee that your resume and cover letter will be scanned by an applicant tracking system.

Use the best practices to ensure that your ATS-friendly resume includes any keywords and competencies mentioned in the job description for your airline of choice. 

Non-Scheduled Air Transportation or Chartered Flights

Non-Scheduled or Charter flights are flights booked privately—often by a band, celebrities, or a sports team—to fly an entire plane to a particular destination, 

This is where the discretion skills come into play, too, Non-scheduled flights pay more, on average, because they are unpredictable. Since the cabin crew is providing hospitality to “VIPs”, the pay is often higher than average. 

In fact, according to data from ZipRecruiter, Charter Flight Attendants can earn up to six-figure salaries while flying with the rich and famous. 

How to Find a High-Paying Flight Attendant Job 

There is a ton of variation when it comes to the pay grades and opportunities for flight attendants. At the time of publishing (July 2022), many airlines are rolling up their sleeves and getting creative with pay structures to attract flight attendants. 

Time it Right (The Time is Now!) 

In 2022, flight attendants are some of the most in-demand workers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that job opportunities for cabin crew will grow by 30 percent over the next ten years. This is largely to replace the large numbers of flight attendants laid off in 2020 and 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Translation: If you have always wanted to become a flight attendant, now is the time to go for it! 

Achieve Seniority

While there isn’t a ton of hierarchy in a given cabin, senior flight attendants do reap benefits from sticking with their careers as flight attendants. In fact, the most experienced flight attendants earn higher salaries, have more control over their routes and schedules, and earn higher annual bonuses. 

Payscale reports that the average total compensation for entry-level flight attendants (1-4 years of experience) is about $29.49.

Flight attendants with 10 to 19 years of experience earn a double hourly rate of about $59.71. 

While this “tip” to earn more money takes a long time to actually achieve, it’s a reliable road to stability and more earning potential. 

Other Questions About Being a Flight Attendant 

Working as part of a cabin crew is a unique job—and with unique jobs come unique questions about them. Here are some of the most common questions about a flight attendant position. 

Do Flight Attendants Get Paid During Boarding?

Normally, no. This sounded like it had to be an internet rumor, but flight attendants don’t normally get paid until the boarding door is closed and the plane’s brakes are released.

In fact, a flight attendant’s base salary includes flight hours and layover payment. All that time spent shoving those way-too-large bags in the overhead bins is historically unpaid. 

Remember this the next time you’re de-icing on a runway for an hour. Your flight attendants are helping you out without compensation!

However, this standard is changing, In fact, Delta Airlines began paying their cabin crew during boarding procedures, While pay is capped at about 50% (with more tenured cabin crew earning more during this time), it’s a huge move in the right direction. It feels like a no-brainer that flight attendants would be paid for one of the most stressful parts of a flight. 

Which Major Airlines Pay the Best?

This is a tricky one, so we got some help from Everyday Aviation. When arranged by average pay, these are the top ten airlines in the United States, their average annual pay, bottom ten percent, top ten percent, and additional annual pay. 

• Alaskan Airlines
• United Airlines
• American Airlines
• JetBlue Airways
• Southwest Airlines
• Delta Airlines
• Hawaiian Airlines
• Spirit Airlines
• Air Canada
• Sun Country Airlines

Keep in mind that there are a few ways to ingest salary data. While some airlines have a great starting salary, they may not have a great reputation when it comes to treating their employees well, offering expansive job training, or offering more compensation opportunities. 

Beyond that, as discussed earlier, pay attention to how airlines treat their senior staff, whether they have a union in place, and other variables crucial to actual success and wellbeing. 

Do Flight Attendants Fly for Free?

Yes. While there is a healthy amount of debate as to whether flight attendants are compensated for the myriad of high-stress jobs they do within their job, they are almost guaranteed to fly for free. 

According to Everyday Aviation, these are the ways flight attendants can fly for free or, at least, very close to free. When flight attendants cannot take advantage of free flights, they can expect steep discounts. Typically, they are only responsible for the associated taxes and fees for the flight. 

Other ways flight attendants fly for free: 

1. Standby flights: Depending on availability, flight attendants can join a flight with open seats.
2. Limited Passes: Flight attendants are given a number of free passes to fly in a calendar year. 
3. Jump seats: When traveling alone, flight attendants can take advantage of any open “jump seats”, which are the seats flight attendants use during takeoff and landing. If there is an extra jumpseat, a flight attendant can usually use it to fly for free.