Love to fly the friendly skies? You don’t need to obtain a pilot’s license to enjoy a stable, six-figure career in the air.
While pilots are responsible for operating an aircraft, navigating to destinations, and communicating with air traffic control, flight attendants are tasked with ensuring the safety of those on board, from the moment they step into the cabin to when the plane reaches its arrival gate. They secure and maintain the cabin, communicate information to and from the flight deck, and handle any emergency situations that arise.
Much has been said about pilots’ lucrative salaries, but experienced flight attendants can also command six-figure paychecks — and they don’t need to earn their wings to get them.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the top 10% of flight attendants make as much as $104,100 per year, and yet the only education needed for this position is a high school diploma or GED.
Like pilots, flight attendants enjoy flexibility with their schedules. They typically work 12–14 days per month and have the opportunity to travel around the world (on standby) for free.
These perks, along with solid benefits like medical insurance and, often, 401(k) matches, make becoming a flight attendant an attractive prospect, and as far as their future outlook goes, the sky’s the limit. The BLS reports that flight attendants have one of the fastest-growing career fields—as well as one of the most competitive.
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What’s new with flight attendants?
The COVID-19 pandemic not only increased the bargaining power of airline pilot unions; flight attendants are also starting to see large, double-digit wage increases.
In September 2024, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), the union that represents American Airlines flight attendants, negotiated a new, 5-year contract worth $4.2 billion that gave flight attendants an immediate pay raise of up to 20%.
Under the terms of the deal, which took effect October 1, 2024, flight attendants now receive compensation for the time they spend helping passengers board the aircraft and the time they spend in between flights, which is known as the “sit rig.” For most airlines, the time clock for flight attendants doesn’t begin until their aircraft’s doors are closed, although insiders expect the APFA’s latest victory with American Airlines will set a precedent for more positive change.
What do flight attendants do?
Flight attendants’ main role is to ensure the safety of all passengers. In order to do this, they must undergo extensive, weeks-long training at their airline’s flight training center and obtain a Certificate of Demonstrated Proficiency from the FAA prior to starting work.
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On board an aircraft, their responsibilities include making sure safety equipment is operational and that passengers have their seatbelts fastened. In the event of an emergency, they provide direction on evacuating the aircraft and also administer emergency medical care. In addition, they are trained to extinguish fires and implement protocols in the (rare) event of cabin decompression.
Before takeoff, flight attendants are briefed by the pilot on expected weather conditions and flight duration. They also receive information about any special needs passengers may have.
Flight attendants are the main point of contact between passengers and the flight crew. They manage all functions of the boarding process, including stowing luggage, educating passengers on safety procedures, and making sure seatbelts are fastened, seats are upright, tray tables are locked, and carry-on items are correctly stowed.
Once airborne, flight attendants deliver beverages and snacks (or meals on international flights) and keep passengers calm during turbulence or delays.
After landing, they help passengers deplane the aircraft and may be required to clean the aircraft.
Flight attendants often work nights, weekends, and holidays and typically log between 65–85 flight hours, or 12–14 days a month. According to the BLS, many flight attendants work part-time schedules, and almost all start out working on call, or in “reserve status.” Their shifts can vary from 4 to 18+ hours (on international flights), and they may have to report to work on short notice.
Due to the nature of their work and the fact that they must perform their job functions in hazardous weather conditions, flight attendants have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses out of all job occupations.
Do you know Heinrich Kubis was the world’s first flight attendant who worked for the German airline ''DELAG'' and began caring for passengers in March, 1912.#Kileleni!Twe'nzetu#TBT pic.twitter.com/r2qMV4tbPu
— Air Tanzania (@AirTanzania) December 13, 2018
A 90-second history of flight attendants
The first flight attendant, or air steward, didn’t actually work on an airplane; his name was Heinrich Kubis, and his job was on board the cylindrical shaped, German-built airship called a Zeppelin in the early 1900s.
In fact, Kubis was working on board the Hindenburg during its ill-fated landing in 1937, when it burst into flames, killing 36 passengers and crew. (Kubis survived by jumping out the window as the airship approached the New Jersey airstrip.)
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In 1930, the first female flight attendant, Ellen Church, was actually refused the position she had originally applied for — pilot. Instead, she was hired by United Airlines based on her nursing background to attend to passengers mid-air.
With the advent of jet airliners in the 1950s, air transportation grew safer, and stewardess’ roles evolved. Instead of solely administering first aid, their jobs expanded to include making flights comfortable for those on board by serving meals and drinks to passengers.
Fashion designers like Emilio Pucci, Valentino, and Ralph Lauren designed uniforms for stewardesses, helping glamorize their role in popular culture. Becoming a stewardess was viewed as a free-spirited way for women to see the world and an alternative to secretarial jobs or the bonds of marriage.
Through their print and television campaigns, advertising agencies positioned stewardesses first as All-American “girls next door,” giving bottles to babies and feeding tired businessmen.
Later, as airlines competed for business based on the attractiveness of their staff, they morphed into sexualized airborne fantasies. In 1965, Braniff Airlines introduced its infamous “Air Strip” ad, which featured a stewardess removing layers of her uniform as a striptease.
#Braniff International Airways purchased a large fleet of the #727 and, after advertising executive #MaryWells radically revamped the airline's corporate identity, painted their aircraft in a variety of brightly colored liveries. #avgeek pic.twitter.com/vOEnjBMSQq
— SFO Museum (@SFOMuseum) April 28, 2018
In order to maintain their physical appeal, stewardesses were even subjected to “weigh-ins”— President Lyndon B. Johnson’s daughter, Lynda Bird Robb, wrote a story for Ladies’ Home Journal called “I was a Stewardess for a Day,” recalling the words her boss told her: “If a stewardess isn’t disciplined enough to stay within the [weight] limits, then she isn’t disciplined enough to be responsible for our passengers at 35,000 feet.”
In the coming years, civil rights laws and flight attendants’ unions would help dismantle many of these discriminatory practices. In January 1970, Sprogis v United ruled that the airline policy that had forbidden flight attendants from marrying was unlawful. The courts also struck down other ageist practices, which included forcing stewardesses into retirement by their mid-30s, and ended the airline’s refusal to hire males for the position. In an effort to promote inclusivity, the term “stewardess” was replaced by the gender-neutral "flight attendant" in the 1980s.
Flight attendant unions, like the AFA-CWA, also established stricter safety standards on board aircraft, such as the use of flame-retardant cabin materials and the addition of defibrillators onto every flight. They lobbied for annual training certification, and their efforts resulted in increased oversight over food and the banning of smoking on all flights (although it took until the year 2000 for this to occur).
While new laws prohibited discrimination in hiring based on age, appearance, and gender, the airlines' height and “proportionality” restrictions for flight attendants still remain in place today, as, airlines argue, they are necessary standards so that flight attendants can occupy jump seats and fasten their safety harnesses without modification.
How much do flight attendants make?
In 2023, the BLS reports the median salary for a flight attendant was $68,370, which means that half earned more and half earned less: The lower 10% earned under $39,580 while the highest 10% earned more than $104,100.
New hires begin at the low end of their airline’s pay scale, ranging from between $30 to $35 per hour, but pay rates increase dramatically with experience. By the time a flight attendant has 10 years under their belt, they typically enjoy wages in the $65–$70 range.
More from airlines:
- Flight attendant salaries: What they make & how to get the job
- Delta pilot salaries: What the world’s biggest airline pays its flightdeck
- Air traffic controller salaries: How much do they make?
Flight attendants also receive a per diem away from home that covers meals and accommodations. They usually must purchase their first uniform and luggage, and their airline typically covers the cost of replacements.
How do I get a job as a flight attendant?
Flight attendant candidates usually have a high school diploma and two years’ of work experience in the hospitality industry, such as providing customer service or working at a hotel, restaurant, or spa.
Airlines look for candidates who display excellent customer service and problem-solving abilities and can handle the physical demands of the job.
Because this position is so popular, top airlines may only open application submission windows for a few hours at a time, so be sure to have your resume prepared and bookmark the career page of the airline you wish to work for, such as Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, or Southwest Airlines — and check on it often.
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Flight attendant 2025 job outlook
Demand for flight attendants is projected to grow at a much faster pace than the national employment average, according to BLS, soaring by 10% over the next decade compared to just 0.4% for the national average. This spells tons of job security for those who are certified to do the job.
The BLS projects 19,500 new flight attendant position openings each year as the airline industry continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, flight attendants retire or exit the labor force, and new and larger aircraft — like the Airbus A380, which can hold up to 850 on board a single flight — are introduced.
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