How much does a flight attendant make?

The average flight attendant salary in the United States is $33,607. Flight attendant salaries typically range between $25,000 and $43,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for flight attendants is $16.16 per hour. Flight attendant salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Flight attendants earn the highest average salary in Pennsylvania.

Flight attendant salary

Q: What state pays Flight Attendants the most?

Pennsylvania pays Flight Attendants the most in the United States, with an average salary of $36,628 per year, or $17.61 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a flight attendant?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a flight attendant if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in New York you should be paid close to $36,496 per year.

Q: How many vacation days do flight attendants get?

Flight attendants typically get between 12 to 30 vacation days per year. The number of vacation days a flight attendant gets can vary widely depending on the airline they work for, the number of years they have worked for that airline, and their specific contract.

Q: Do flight attendants make good money?

Yes, flight attendants generally make good money; however, this depends on a number of factors, such as their experience level and the airline they work for. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, flight attendants make an average annual salary of $62,680.

Q: How are flight attendants paid?

Flight attendants are paid through flight pay and per diem. The main component of a flight attendant's salary, known as flight pay, is the total hours the flight attendant is on the plane with passengers, either navigating the taxiways or flying in the air.

Q: Why aren't flight attendants paid for boarding?

Flight attendants are not paid for boarding to help airlines save money and lower ticket and in-flight purchases for customers. Traditionally most airlines have conducted business this way. However, Delta has recently changed its policy and started paying flight attendants for boarding.

Average flight attendant salary

$16.16

$33,607 yearly

Entry-level flight attendant salary

$25,000 yearly salary

Updated December 15, 2025

Average Flight Attendant Salary

As of October 2025, flight attendants earn an average salary of $33,607 annually, translating to approximately $16 per hour. This figure can vary significantly based on multiple factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and the airline's reputation. For example, flight attendants in more urban areas or with extensive experience often command higher salaries.

How Salaries Vary by State

Flight attendants in states like California and New York generally earn more compared to their counterparts in less populated regions. Understanding these variations is crucial for those entering the field or considering relocation for better opportunities. Here’s a breakdown:

Highest Paying States: California, New York, and Texas
Lowest Paying States: Ohio, Arkansas, and Mississippi

Additionally, larger airlines may offer more competitive salaries and benefits, making it essential for job seekers to research potential employers thoroughly.

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Flight attendant salary by:

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Where can a Flight Attendant earn more?

Compare salary by location

61k

41k

21k

589

Columbus, OH$36,804

Baltimore, MD$30,589

Compare salary by company

61k

41k

21k

Lockheed Martin$38,031

Solairus Aviation$31,297

Flight attendant salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Indeed, Glassdoor, Ziprecruiter, SalaryExpert, Comparably and CareerExplorer, the average salary for a flight attendant typically falls between $33,607 and $71,403.

zippia

$33,607yearly

glassdoor[1]

$52,749yearly

indeed[2]

$38,822yearly

comparably[3]

$52,152yearly

Salary.com[4]

$63,846yearly

ZipRecruiter[5]

$47,079yearly

SalaryExpert[6]

$71,403yearly

CareerExplorer[7]

$37,020yearly

Average flight attendant salary by state

The highest-paying states for flight attendants are Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. The lowest average flight attendant salary states are Mississippi, Kentucky, and South Carolina.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for flight attendants

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Michigan	$36,245	$17.43
2	Wyoming	$33,965	$16.33
3	Maine	$35,634	$17.13
4	Minnesota	$34,745	$16.70
5	Pennsylvania	$36,628	$17.61
6	New Jersey	$36,292	$17.45
7	Tennessee	$32,470	$15.61
8	Wisconsin	$33,272	$16.00
9	Iowa	$32,744	$15.74
10	North Carolina	$32,428	$15.59
11	Kansas	$31,956	$15.36
12	Rhode Island	$32,911	$15.82
13	Indiana	$32,083	$15.42
14	Oregon	$33,711	$16.21
15	New Hampshire	$32,731	$15.74
16	New York	$36,496	$17.55
17	Virginia	$34,098	$16.39
18	Vermont	$32,296	$15.53
19	Arizona	$31,562	$15.17
20	Oklahoma	$32,481	$15.62
21	Arkansas	$32,320	$15.54
22	New Mexico	$32,965	$15.85
23	Texas	$31,172	$14.99
24	Idaho	$32,209	$15.49
25	Illinois	$33,153	$15.94
26	North Dakota	$32,554	$15.65
27	Utah	$31,528	$15.16
28	Connecticut	$32,731	$15.74
29	Alabama	$30,984	$14.90
30	Georgia	$31,478	$15.13
31	Nevada	$29,801	$14.33
32	California	$33,514	$16.11
33	Massachusetts	$32,887	$15.81
34	Missouri	$30,280	$14.56
35	Ohio	$29,730	$14.29
36	Nebraska	$30,834	$14.82
37	Florida	$29,501	$14.18
38	Colorado	$28,982	$13.93
39	Maryland	$30,400	$14.62
40	Mississippi	$28,424	$13.67
41	Montana	$28,436	$13.67
42	Hawaii	$26,379	$12.68
43	Delaware	$31,132	$14.97
44	Kentucky	$28,294	$13.60
45	Washington	$31,112	$14.96
46	Alaska	$24,691	$11.87
47	West Virginia	$29,124	$14.00
48	South Dakota	$29,085	$13.98
49	District of Columbia	$30,056	$14.45
50	Louisiana	$26,067	$12.53
51	South Carolina	$26,972	$12.97

Top flight attendant jobs near you

Highest paying cities for flight attendants

The highest-paying cities for flight attendants are Philadelphia, PA, White Plains, NY, and Flint, MI.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Philadelphia, PA	$36,804	$17.69
2	White Plains, NY	$36,709	$17.65
3	Flint, MI	$36,526	$17.56
4	Newark, NJ	$36,522	$17.56
5	Arlington, VA	$35,129	$16.89
6	Minneapolis, MN	$34,758	$16.71
7	San Jose, CA	$34,224	$16.45
8	Appleton, WI	$33,786	$16.24
9	Portland, OR	$33,533	$16.12
10	Chicago, IL	$33,305	$16.01
11	Boston, MA	$32,909	$15.82
12	Charlotte, NC	$32,173	$15.47
13	Indianapolis, IN	$31,918	$15.35
14	Phoenix, AZ	$31,665	$15.22
15	Atlanta, GA	$31,663	$15.22
16	Fort Worth, TX	$31,597	$15.19
17	Provo, UT	$31,540	$15.16
18	Tacoma, WA	$31,201	$15.00
19	Montgomery, AL	$30,706	$14.76
20	Baltimore, MD	$30,589	$14.71

Flight attendant salary details

A flight attendant's salary ranges from $25,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $43,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average flight attendant salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a flight attendant's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$43,000	$3,583	$21
75th Percentile	$38,000	$3,167	$18
Average	$33,607	$2,801	$16
25th Percentile	$29,000	$2,417	$14
10th Percentile	$25,000	$2,083	$12

Highest paying flight attendant jobs

The highest paying types of flight attendants are flight dispatcher, flight purser, and in-flight crew member.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Attendant	$27,453	$2,288	$13.20	52,299

Top companies hiring flight attendants now:

Which companies pay flight attendants the most?

Flight attendant salaries at Lockheed Martin and SkyWest Airlines are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average flight attendant salary at companies like Spirit Airlines and Air Wisconsin Airlines are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Lockheed Martin	$38,031	$18.28
2	SkyWest Airlines	$35,993	$17.30
3	Spirit Airlines	$35,914	$17.27
4	Air Wisconsin Airlines	$35,864	$17.24
5	Endeavor Air	$35,787	$17.21
6	Republic Airways Holdings	$35,751	$17.19
7	PSA Airlines	$35,581	$17.11
8	United	$35,313	$16.98
9	Delta Air Lines	$35,237	$16.94
10	Bank of America	$34,947	$16.80
11	Mesa Airlines	$34,942	$16.80
12	NetJets	$34,241	$16.46
13	Swift Air	$33,611	$16.16
14	Envoy Air	$33,540	$16.13
15	Allegiant Air	$33,276	$16.00
16	Frontier Airlines	$32,709	$15.73
17	Hawaiian Airlines	$32,413	$15.58
18	Executive Jet Management	$31,928	$15.35
19	Contour Aviation	$31,390	$15.09
20	Solairus Aviation	$31,297	$15.05

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$35,000$34,400$33,800$33,200$32,600$32,000

MaleFemale

Flight attendant salary trends

The average flight attendant salary has risen by $11,969 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average flight attendant earned $21,638 annually, but today, they earn $33,607 a year. That works out to a 22% change in pay for flight attendants over the last decade.

Compare flight attendant salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average flight attendant salary over time

Compare flight attendant salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Flight attendant salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$33,600	$16.16	+4.1%
2024	$32,200	$15.50	+1.1%
2023	$31,900	$15.32	+9.8%
2022	$28,700	$13.82	+4.0%
2021	$27,600	$13.27	+7.5%

Recently added flight attendant salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Endeavor Air	Flight Attendant	Fine, NY	06/29/2025	$53,928
Mesa Air Group	Flight Attendant	Houston, TX	06/27/2025	$23,000
Mesa Air Group	Flight Attendant	Sterling, VA	06/27/2025	$23,000
Gojet Airlines	Flight Attendant-STL 5K Bonus	Saint Louis, MO	06/24/2025	$40,863
Gojet Airlines	Flight Attendant-IAD 5K Bonus	Dulles Town Center, VA	06/24/2025	$40,863
Gojet Airlines	Flight Attendant-EWR 5K Bonus	Newark, NJ	06/24/2025	$40,863
Trans States Holdings Inc.	Flight Attendant ORD 5K Bonus	Chicago, IL	06/16/2025	$40,863
Trans States Holdings Inc.	Flight Attendant STL 5K Bonus	Saint Louis, MO	06/16/2025	$40,863
Trans States Holdings Inc.	Flight Attendant IAD 5K Bonus	Sterling, VA	06/16/2025	$40,863
Trans States Holdings Inc.	Flight Attendant EWR 5K Bonus	Newark, NJ	06/16/2025	$40,863