Check the emergency gear
Before anyone boards, check that the first aid kits, oxygen bottles and fire extinguishers are ready to use.
Career profile
Flight Attendant
Flight attendants keep everyone on board safe and supported throughout the flight.
Can you make a traveler feel welcome while stowing their bag, then, when it counts, win their attention for a safety point they missed?
A day in the life
Demonstrate gear and check seats
Show passengers how the safety equipment works, then walk the aisle checking belts and stowed bags.
Serve snacks and explain connections
Hand out drinks and snacks, and help travelers figure out landing times and onward connections.
Steady nervous and sick travelers
When turbulence frightens a traveler, calm them down, and if someone falls ill, give first aid right there.
Log broken gear and incidents
Record any faulty cabin equipment and passenger incidents so the airline gets the details.
Quick facts
High school + airline training
United States
$63,580/year
United States · May 2025
9% projected growth
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
High school + airline trainingCustomer service experience is typically part of the preparation, too.
Pay
$63,580/yearNational median annual wage; not a starting salary.
Outlook
9% projected growthAbout 18,500 openings per year, including replacements for people leaving the occupation.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You can stay courteous while asking someone to follow a rule.
- You notice when a person looks confused or needs help.
- You like work that keeps you moving and talking with people.
Things to weigh
- Early on, reserve duty can mean short-notice trips. Your airline’s available bases may also require a move.
- You work in tight aisles, push carts, and handle tense conversations while tired. Weekends and holidays can be workdays.
Where AI may help
Passenger apps can answer some travel questions. United’s app supplies connecting-gate directions and flight updates.
What people still lead
You still watch the cabin, respond to distress, and help passengers act on safety instructions.
What we can’t predict yet
How much routine explaining moves to passengers’ phones will depend on the tools and whether people can use them during a disrupted trip.
Pay in context
Earnings
Use the national median as a reference point, then examine how an airline calculates paid time.
The national spread
The median was $63,580. The 10th and 90th percentiles were $35,110 and $136,430. These describe the wage distribution, not starting and senior pay.
Pay by workplace type
Annual medians were $63,570 in scheduled air transportation and $70,700 in nonscheduled air transportation.
Read the paid-time formula
Airline pay can combine flight hours, boarding pay, and a minimum reserve guarantee. Rates may rise with years of service. Ask which hours count and how time away from base is compensated.
Getting started
Build customer service experience
- What the route involves
- Work with customers in retail, hospitality, food service, or another public-facing job.
- What it can lead to
- This can meet airline experience requirements. United requires at least one year of customer service experience.
- What to check
- United also requires applicants to be at least 21 and have a high school diploma or equivalent. Other airlines set their own hiring requirements.
Complete airline selection and training
- What the route involves
- After selection, practice emergency procedures, cabin service, and aircraft duties; pass evaluations and training flights.
- What it can lead to
- Successful completion leads toward cabin employment and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Certificate of Demonstrated Proficiency.
- What to check
- Expect passport, work-authorization, physical-function, background, and drug-screening requirements. Training terms vary; at United, employee status begins after graduation.
Build the experience an airline requires, then apply for its selection and training process.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization. This path also has a credential or licensing boundary; see the requirements and limits.
Settle into your base
Learn the airport routines and cover trips on reserve—the on-call schedule many new attendants begin with.
Build cabin experience
Keep emergency skills current through recurrent training and train for additional aircraft types.
Lead a cabin crew
With experience, pursue a senior cabin role such as purser, helping coordinate other attendants.
- Instruction or airline management can offer another direction.
Where you can work
Regional airlines
Smaller cabins mean confined working spaces. Reserve work can involve covering another attendant’s trip on short notice from your home base.
- Vehicle
- Travel
- On call
- Physical demands
- Safety-sensitive
International airline routes
Longer flights can mean extended duty periods and nights away. Senior cabin attendants may coordinate the crew’s work.
- Vehicle
- Travel
- Shift work
- Safety-sensitive
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Ask a friend to play a passenger who wants to leave a bag in the aisle. Practice a brief, courteous request to move it, then have them ask why. Notice whether you can stay clear and calm without sounding impatient.
Stay safe: Use an ordinary room; this is communication practice, not emergency training.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Flight Attendants — Occupational Outlook Handbook. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- O*NET OnLine / U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. National Wages: 53-2031.00 — Flight Attendants. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- O*NET OnLine. 53-2031.00 — Flight Attendants. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Federal Aviation Administration. Flight Attendant Certificate of Demonstrated Proficiency. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- SkyWest Airlines. Flight Attendant Career Guide. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- United Airlines. Flight Attendant Information. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- United Airlines. Path to Inflight. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- United Airlines. United Mobile App Now Gives People More Information About Their Connecting Flight. Accessed 2026-10-03.