How To Become An On-Air Host: What It Is and Career Path

What is an on-air host and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The on-air host is popularly known as a flight attendant or steward who attends to travelers on a flight. As an on-air host, you will have to scrutinize the safety procedures before the flight, bring travelers desired items like pillows or headphones, dish out food and drinks, and make sure that travelers are relaxed all through the flight.

You are also expected to carry out safety inspections at several time intervals in the course of the flight, notify travelers during the declination of the plane, and aid in the alighting routine after touchdown. As an on-air host, you must be acquainted with several emergency apparatus like the defibrillators and must be able to conduct elementary first aid like injury dressing and CPR.

To qualify for the role of an on-air host, although there are not many official degree conditions, having a high school diploma can be necessary depending on most employers. In addition to this, you must have good communication, interpersonal and relational skills. You must also be able to stay calm under pressure. As an on-air host, you will earn an average annual salary of $48,500.

ScoreOn-Air HostUS Average

Salary

3.6

Avg. Salary $45,873

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.4

Growth rate -4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.44%

Asian 4.33%

Black or African American 5.30%

Hispanic or Latino 11.23%

Unknown 3.38%

White 75.32%

Gender

female 36.51%

male 63.49%

Age - 49

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 - 49

Stress level

7.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.2

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.1

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an on-air host

Explore on-air host education requirements

Most common on-air host degrees

Bachelor's

76.1 %

Associate

12.2 %

Master's

6.2 %

Start to develop specific on-air host skills

Skills	Percentages
Adobe Audition	15.59%
Phone Calls	7.61%
FCC	6.82%
FM	6.62%
Air Host	6.36%

Complete relevant on-air host training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New on-air hosts 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 an on-air host based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real on-air host resumes.

Research on-air host duties and responsibilities

Record daily news cast on state topics, prepare promos, program and automate playlists, archive local public affairs shows.
Conduct on-air interviews, screen and connect phone calls, and run audio board.
Create and run promotions prior to the show.
Host and producer of FYI, KLDE FM, weekly public affairs program.

Prepare your on-air host resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your on-air host 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 an on-air host resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable on-air host resume templates

Build a professional on-air host 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 on-air host resume.