Flight attendant vs nurse

The differences between flight attendants and nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a nurse has an average salary of $57,564, which is higher than the $33,607 average annual salary of a flight attendant.

The top three skills for a flight attendant include passenger safety, customer service and emergency equipment. The most important skills for a nurse are patients, home health, and CPR.

Flight attendant vs nurse overview

	Flight Attendant	Nurse
Yearly salary	$33,607	$57,564
Hourly rate	$16.16	$27.68
Growth rate	21%	6%
Number of jobs	45,878	696,124
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	49	44
Years of experience	-	2

What does a flight attendant do?

A flight attendant is known as a steward or stewardess, an air host or hostess, and works majority in airlines, some in private business jets, or a few other aircraft. Also commonly referred to as a cabin crew, flight attendants act as an ambassador between the airline they work with and the passengers by primarily taking charge of their safety and comfort during the entire flight. They do more than serving meals, refreshments, and drinks to passengers as they must also check the supplies and emergency equipment, secure sufficiency, and make sure everything is in order. They greet the travelers, help in their luggage being stowed properly, and ensure they are in their correct and assigned seats.

What does a nurse do?

Nurses are medical professionals assigned to a specific department in the hospital and provide their trusted department services. Nurses are in charge of taking patients' medical histories, getting vital signs, preparing patients for checkups or procedures, explaining upcoming practices, answering any questions, and communicating any concerns to the assigned doctor. Nurses should ensure that patients follow the medical advice given to them. They also assist patients in completing administrative requirements, such as filling out forms, validating details, and endorsing payments.

Flight attendant vs nurse salary

Flight attendants and nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Flight Attendant	Nurse
Average salary	$33,607	$57,564
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $43,000	Between $38,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	Philadelphia, PA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Pennsylvania	California
Best paying company	Lockheed Martin	Conviva
Best paying industry	Transportation	Government

Differences between flight attendant and nurse education

There are a few differences between a flight attendant and a nurse in terms of educational background:

	Flight Attendant	Nurse
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Business	Nursing
Most common college	SUNY Farmingdale	Duke University

Flight attendant vs nurse demographics

Here are the differences between flight attendants' and nurses' demographics:

	Flight Attendant	Nurse
Average age	49	44
Gender ratio	Male, 21.1% Female, 78.9%	Male, 14.0% Female, 86.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 7.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 7.6% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	29%	9%

Differences between flight attendant and nurse duties and responsibilities

Flight attendant example 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.
Initiate and cancels NOTAMS (notices to airmen) on airfield facilities/conditions.
Coordinate and confirm customs, handling, APIS and landing and parking permits.

Nurse example responsibilities.

Monitor patients' status during surgery (circulate in operating room) and manage patients in PACU.
Manage high-acuity cardiac/pulmonary and psychiatric patients
Monitor patients for cardiac rhythm changes and implement medication according to ACLS guidelines.
Educate patients and families on diseases processes, medications, wind care, and iv infusion.
Provide care for patients on medical/surgical, transplant, cardiac, orthopedic, postpartum, neonatal ICU, and psychiatric units
Demonstrate competence in CPR and other medical emergency situations.

Flight attendant vs nurse skills

Common flight attendant skills

Passenger Safety, 20%
Customer Service, 14%
Emergency Equipment, 13%
Non-Emergency Situations, 7%
CPR, 6%
Medical Emergencies, 5%

Common nurse skills

Patients, 21%
Home Health, 7%
CPR, 6%
BLS, 6%
Acute Care, 5%
Acls, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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