Flight attendants

Detailed Occupation

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2020 Workforce

110k

Average Age

45.8

Estimated Job Growth

17.3%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$50,198

Average Male Salary

$57,928

Average Female Salary

$47,774

About

Flight attendants are most often employed by the Air transportation industry. The average yearly wage for Flight attendants was $50,198 in 2020.

The locations that employ the most Flight attendants are Fort Lauderdale City (Central) PUMA, FL, Upper East Side PUMA, NY, and Grapevine, Southlake & Colleyville Cities PUMA, TX. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Flight attendants are Fort Lauderdale City (Central) PUMA, FL, Grapevine, Southlake & Colleyville Cities PUMA, TX, and Fayette County PUMA, GA.

Photo by Alexander Mueller

Production, Transportation, & Material Moving Occupations Transportation & Material Moving Occupations Transportation Occupations

Employment and salary information for the Flight attendants workforce. Flight attendants workforce in 2020 was 110,280 people, of which 76.1% were women and 23.9% were men. Flight attendants are paid most in Sammamish, Issaquah, Mercer Island & Newcastle Cities PUMA, WA but are relatively concentrated in Fort Lauderdale City (Central) PUMA, FL.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

26,324

Male Workforce

± 3.98k

83,956

Female Workforce

± 7.11k

The Flight attendants workforce in 2020 was 110,280 people (76.1% women and 23.9% men). This implies an average annual growth of 18.2% between 2014 (93,311) and 2020 (110,280).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

This map shows the states in the United States shaded by average wage for Flight attendants.

During 2020, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were Iowa ($68,820), New Mexico ($63,140), and Washington ($62,927).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$50,198

AVERAGE WAGE

#261 in the ranking (2020)

$55,954

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2020, Flight attendants earned an average of $50,198, $5,756 less than the average national salary of $55,954

The graph shows the ranking of Flight attendants in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2020.

Wage Distribution

Gender

0.3

WAGE GINI

In 2020, Flight attendants had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.3, which is lower than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Flight attendants (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

The graphic shows the distribution of average salaries by buckets for Flight attendants compared to the entire workforce in the country.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Flight attendants and on wages for those in the field. Air transportation is the industry that employs the most Flight attendants, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Flight attendants, by average wage, is Services incidental to transportation ($60,398).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

110k

2020 Workforce

± 8,150

−0.246%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 10.5%

This graphic shows the share of Flight attendants employed by various industries. Air transportation employs the largest share of Flight attendants at 99.7%, followed by Services incidental to transportation with 0.349%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Flight attendants in the US. The workforce of Flight attendants in 2020 was 110,280 people, with 76.1% woman, and 23.9% men. The average age of male Flight attendants in the workforce is 44.8 and of female Flight attendants is 46.1, and the most common race/ethnicity for Flight attendants is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Flight attendants in 2020 was 110,280 people, with 76.1% woman, and 23.9% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 50 to 54 years (17,764 people), 55 to 59 years (15,283 people), and 25 to 29 years (13,994 people). Among them they concentrated 42.8% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2020, 12.9% of Flight attendants workers were Hispanic and 87.1% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (59.6%), Puerto Rican (29.9)%, and Cuban (10.5)%

You can review this information by gender using the selectors above.

Races

In 2020, 69.9% of the Flight attendants workforce were White, of which 78.7% were women and 21.3% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Black (13.7%) and Asian (6.88%).

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices for Flight attendants from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Flight attendants is Business but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2020 were Transportation.

Among the necessary skills for Flight attendants, Service Orientation stands, but the revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Flight attendants need more than the average amount of Service Orientation.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

Type of Majors

Degree

The most common majors achieved by Flight attendants in 2020 (counting all academic degrees) were Business (10,728 people), Education (4,740 people), and Communications (4,677 people).

You can review this information for different academic grades by modifying the option selected in the selector above.

Education Levels

Metric

The main educational levels achieved by the Flight attendants workers were Bachelors Degree (38,450 people), Some college (35,877 people), and High School or Equivalent (14,885 people).

The graphic shows the Flight attendants workforce by gender and educational level.

Skills

Chart

Value

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for Flight attendants from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Flight attendants need many skills, but most especially Service Orientation, Speaking, Critical Thinking.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Flight Attendants from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.71%, but Flight Attendants are expected to see a growth of 17.3% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

17.3%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.71%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Flight attendants. This profession is expected to grow more than than 3.71%, the average rate of national job growth.