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What is a flight attendant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

Flight attendants are those employees on a plane who move their arms in certain directions while guiding you through all the safety exits and directions for what to do during an emergency. They're pretty important. Plus they bring the pretzels and soda so that's extra points right there.

In addition to flying all over the world, flight attendants have a varying schedule. Sometimes you might get caught on an overnight flight, but other times you'll work a 2-hour flight. From riding in airplanes all the time to getting to stay in cities around the world, becoming a flight attendant is definitely not a bad gig.

ScoreFlight AttendantUS Average
Salary
2.6

Avg. Salary $33,607

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
10.0

Growth rate 21%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.24%

Asian 7.59%

Black or African American 10.25%

Hispanic or Latino 15.83%

Unknown 7.13%

White 58.95%

Gender

female 78.92%

male 21.08%

Age - 51.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 51.5
Stress level
10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
4.4

Complexity level is basic

7 - challenging

Work life balance
9.2

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Flight attendant career paths

Key steps to become a flight attendant

  1. Explore flight attendant education requirements

    Most common flight attendant degrees

    Bachelor's

    55.7 %

    Associate

    19.9 %

    High School Diploma

    10.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific flight attendant skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Passenger Safety19.66%
    Customer Service14.34%
    Emergency Equipment12.75%
    Non-Emergency Situations6.58%
    CPR5.56%
  3. Complete relevant flight attendant training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New flight attendants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a flight attendant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real flight attendant resumes.
  4. Research flight attendant duties and responsibilities

    • Conduct flight operations dispatch in a fast pace FBO environment.
    • Maintain F/A mailboxes, filing, expense and APIS reports.
    • Check customers in, run cash register, clean the whole facility.
    • Coordinate hotel reservations, car rentals, and arrange special event logistics.
  5. Prepare your flight attendant resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your flight attendant resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a flight attendant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable flight attendant resume templates

    Build a professional flight attendant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your flight attendant resume.
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  6. Apply for flight attendant jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a flight attendant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first flight attendant job

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Average flight attendant salary

The average flight attendant salary in the United States is $33,607 per year or $16 per hour. Flight attendant salaries range between $25,000 and $43,000 per year.

Average flight attendant salary
$33,607 Yearly
$16.16 hourly

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How do flight attendants rate their job?

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Flight attendant reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2024
Pros

The pros of working as a Airline Flight Attendant is you get to travel

Cons

less time


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019
Pros

Travel and people seeing different states and cities.

Cons

Maybe not seeing family for awhile.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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