Flight Attendant Average Salary
Flight attendants are important members of airline crews and are trained both to ensure travelers are comfortable and safe. The average salary of a flight attendant will vary based on the location in which she is based and the industry in which she is employed. All salary figures cited here are from 2009, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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Average Salary
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Flight attendants earned an average salary of $43,350 in the United States as of May 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Attendants in the bottom ten percent averaged $25,420 and those in the top ten percent earned about $71,280, with the median salary at $40,010 a year.
Industry
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Most flight attendants work in the field of scheduled air transportation, where they earn an average of $43,290 annually. The average salary in nonscheduled air transportation is $42,800. Flight attendants in employment services earn an income of $63,630 a year on average, and those in the management of companies and enterprises earn $63,650 on average. The highest paying industry is support activities for air transportation, where flight attendants earn an average salary of $72,520 annually.
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Location
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Arizona is the highest paying state in the U.S. for flight attendants, with an average salary of $51,140. Texas follows with an average salary of $46,910, and New York, California and Georgia finish the top five with averages ranging from $39,220 to $43,090. Phoenix, Arizona is the nation's top-paying city for flight attendants, with a salary average of $51,170, followed by Columbus, Ohio at $46,530.
Advancement
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Most flight attendants will see an increase in both salary and responsibilities as they gain experience. Most start on reserve status, waiting to be called to fill in as needed. After the reserve period, flight attendants may bid for regular assigned flights. Attendants with several years of experience may be promoted to positions such as lead flight attendant, flight attendant supervisor, base manager and manager of in-flight operations.
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References
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Comments
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What the general public doesn't know is that most airlines do not pay overtime, the per diem is not enough to cover meals, and some do not have the language incentives (and when they do they exclude Mexico and Canada where a lot of the airlines have many flights). Also, in most of them the initial training is unpaid and the recurrent training is paid very little.
