Flight attendants
Monitor safety of the aircraft cabin. Provide services to airline passengers, explain safety information, serve food and beverages, and respond to emergency incidents.
Flight attendants monitor safety of the aircraft cabin. Provide services to airline passengers, explain safety information, serve food and beverages, and respond to emergency incidents. The role reports a median annual salary of $67,130 in the US and is projected to grow 9% over the next decade (faster than average). Entry typically requires a High school diploma or equivalent, and shows low AI exposure (0.29 on a 0-1 scale) — the role's core work resists automation. The most in-demand skills for the role include airport planning, air transport law, common aviation safety regulations, communicate verbal instructions, comply with food safety and hygiene.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £28,738 a year for Air travel assistants (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 6213). ONS rates this estimate reasonably precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Service and sales workers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Flight attendants, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 5. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
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Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Customer and Personal Service
- Public Safety and Security
- English Language
- Transportation
- Psychology
- Geography
- Computers and Electronics
- Personnel and Human Resources
A day in the life
You report to the crew room well before departure and join the preflight briefing, where the captain runs through the weather, the route, any expected turbulence and how the cabin service will be split. On board, you check that the first aid kit, fire extinguishers and oxygen bottles on your side of the cabin are sealed and working. As passengers board, you help stow bags, spot the travellers who will need extra help, such as a parent with a baby or an older passenger using a wheelchair, and brief those sitting by the emergency exits. You demonstrate the life jacket and oxygen mask, then walk the aisle checking belts and tray tables before takeoff. In the air you serve meals, answer the same questions many times over and keep a quiet eye on anyone who seems unwell or agitated. Pushing the heavy trolley on a bumpy sector is tiring, but calmly settling a nervous first-time flyer feels genuinely good. Before landing you secure the cabin again and make the final checks.
Illustrative: one typical day, written from the O*NET task statements for this occupation. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- Verify that first aid kits and other emergency equipment, including fire extinguishers and oxygen bottles, are in working order.
- Announce and demonstrate safety and emergency procedures, such as the use of oxygen masks, seat belts, and life jackets.
- Monitor passenger behavior to identify threats to the safety of the crew and other passengers.
- Walk aisles of planes to verify that passengers have complied with federal regulations prior to takeoffs and landings.
- Direct and assist passengers in emergency procedures, such as evacuating a plane following an emergency landing.
- Prepare passengers and aircraft for landing, following procedures.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Flight attendants do?
Monitor safety of the aircraft cabin. Provide services to airline passengers, explain safety information, serve food and beverages, and respond to emergency incidents.
What does a typical day look like in Flight attendants?
You report to the crew room well before departure and join the preflight briefing, where the captain runs through the weather, the route, any expected turbulence and how the cabin service will be split. On board, you check that the first aid kit, fire extinguishers and oxygen bottles on your side of the cabin are sealed and working.
How much does Flight attendants earn?
The median annual salary for Flight attendants in the US is $67,130.
What is the job outlook for Flight attendants?
The role is projected to grow 9% over the next decade (faster than average). Current US employment is approximately 130,800 workers.
How do I become flight attendants?
The typical entry education is a High school diploma or equivalent. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Flight attendants need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include airport planning, air transport law, common aviation safety regulations, communicate verbal instructions, comply with food safety and hygiene, provide first aid. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Flight attendants?
Our AI-durability model gives Flight attendants a score of 0.29 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at low AI exposure — the role's core work resists current-generation automation. It's a comparatively AI-durable choice within its field.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Flight attendants has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.