Flight attendant vs purser

The differences between flight attendants and pursers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a purser has an average salary of $39,585, 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 purser are safety procedures, customer service, and front desk.

Flight attendant vs purser overview

	Flight Attendant	Purser
Yearly salary	$33,607	$39,585
Hourly rate	$16.16	$19.03
Growth rate	21%	21%
Number of jobs	45,878	108
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	-	-

Flight attendant vs purser salary

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

	Flight Attendant	Purser
Average salary	$33,607	$39,585
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $43,000	Between $21,000 And $72,000
Highest paying City	Philadelphia, PA	-
Highest paying state	Pennsylvania	-
Best paying company	Lockheed Martin	-
Best paying industry	Transportation	-

Differences between flight attendant and purser education

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

	Flight Attendant	Purser
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Business	Hospitality Management
Most common college	SUNY Farmingdale	University of Minnesota - Crookston

Flight attendant vs purser demographics

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

	Flight Attendant	Purser
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 21.1% Female, 78.9%	Male, 47.2% Female, 52.8%
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, 8.9% Unknown, 7.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 9.8% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	29%	29%

Differences between flight attendant and purser 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.

Purser example responsibilities.

Confer with shipboard and shore side management to ensure passenger berthing and over all enjoyment.
Devise and implement specific solutions for sea cloud boutique shop, inventories order, supplies and maintain the crew clothing locker.
Assist in the implementation of safety and quality management program.
Assist physically challenge passengers as appropriate; provide life-saving assistance to ill or incapacitate passengers, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation if require.

Flight attendant vs purser skills

Common flight attendant skills

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

Common purser skills

Safety Procedures, 32%
Customer Service, 27%
Front Desk, 15%
Crew Payroll, 8%
Guest Service, 6%
Boutique, 3%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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