The Average Salary of an Airline Stewardess
How much a flight attendant makes depends on the airline, seniority and the number of hours worked per month. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics as of May 2009, the median annual wage for flight attendants is $40,000 per year. If you are a new-hire flight attendant, however, you may start out making as little as $14,000 to $19,000 per year. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that the mean annual wage for a flight attendant was $43,350 as of May 2009. Since most flight attendants are covered under multi-year collective bargaining agreements, that figure is likely still accurate for late 2010.
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Wages
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Starting pay generally varies by airline. New hires earn the same hourly wage and receive annual raises that are generally covered in a collective bargaining agreement negotiated by the airline and the flight attendant union. The hourly wage rates usually max out after 15 years or so.
Flight attendants who speak another language can generally earn a few more dollars per hour when they are assigned routes that requires the corresponding language.
Hours
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The pay rates for flight attendants generally only covers their time on the aircraft with the door closed. That means that boarding, deplaning and sitting around waiting for planes to arrive/depart is considered unpaid time. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that flight attendants work about 65 to 90 hours per month and spend another 50 hours a month on the ground preparing for flights, writing reports and waiting for planes to arrive (sometimes known as "sit time.")
Although working 65 to 90 hours per month may sound appealing to some, it is nevertheless quite difficult for most flight attendants to manage on the pay. Many flight attendants find themselves working 100 plus hours a month or finding a second job to make ends meet.
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Per Diem
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Flight attendants also receive "per diem" (by the day) allowances for their eating expenses while they are away from their base. Per diem is usually paid at a fixed rate for every hour a flight attendant is on duty away from his home base.
Travel Benefits
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Like other airline employees, flight attendants, are entitled to reduced rate travel benefits as part of their remuneration. Airline staff and their immediate family are entitled to unlimited standby travel wherever their airline flies.
Flight attendants also enjoy an additional perk when flying on their time off as they are entitled to a jumpseat if its available on a particular flight. Jumpseats are not permitted to be sold to the traveling public, so even on oversold flights, flight attendants traveling on their time off can still board a flight and ride the jumpseat.
Fun
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It's hard to put a price tag on fun--but the major reason most people decide to become flight attendants is simply because it is fun. Most new hire flight attendants generally enter the profession believing they will only work for a few years for the airlines, travel the world and then quit. For instance according to "USA Today", veteran flight attendant Diane Anselmo, who flew for almost four decades, said she thought she would only stay for a year or two when she first joined the airline industry.
After a few years of doing the job, however, many flight attendants end up really enjoying the job and never leave. While the job may not offer a lot financially, it does offer plenty of exciting and unusual experiences. For some, that's all that matters.
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References
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Comments
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Regretfully, many folks seem to have not a clue, why people get paid what they do. Salary has very little to do with "value" and even less to do with what you are "worth." It has everything to do with how hard it is to replace you if you leave. Which is exactly why if you can toss a baseball accurately 90 miles an hour, you'll earn more money that a thousand teachers. It ain't rocket science.
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I've flown millions of miles for over 50 years on business and for vacations. In the early years (1960s), there were only young attractive women (stewardesses,) and they were eager to please all passengers. Even small commuter airlines like Trans Texas were known for their flight attendants' friendly attitudes toward passengers.That has mostly changed since the '70s. Now there are many men and women in these jobs who act like they don't get paid very much and dislike their work. The big carriers, especially, are guilty, but they could care less. There are few exceptions! Too bad.
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I need a job of flight attendent.ms zeb from khi pakistan.
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tough job if you have a family!
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Bill Obst SERIOUSLY??????
