Flight Attendants vs Passenger Attendants: $64K vs $38K Median Pay

Flight Attendants vs Passenger Attendants: what changes?

Consider Flight Attendants if you want to monitor safety of the aircraft cabin. Consider Passenger Attendants if you would rather provide services to ensure the safety of passengers aboard ships, buses, trains, or within the station or terminal. Both list high school diploma or equivalent; compare training and prior experience separately. Prior experience in a related occupation is typically needed for Flight Attendants (less than 5 years).

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Flight Attendants and Passenger Attendants. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Flight Attendants

National median pay (2025): $63,580
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: less than 5 years; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Verify that first aid kits and other emergency equipment, including fire extinguishers and oxygen bottles, are in working order.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 18,500

Know before you choose

BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

See the full Flight Attendants brief

Passenger Attendants

National median pay (2025): $37,720
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Secure passengers for transportation by buckling seatbelts or fastening wheelchairs with tie-down straps.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 4,300

Know before you choose

The work can involve real occupational hazards. Training, protective equipment, and routine safety discipline matter every day.

See the full Passenger Attendants brief

How the national numbers differ

Flight Attendants has the edge on median pay

Flight Attendants is at $63,580, compared with $37,720 for Passenger Attendants.

Flight Attendants has the edge on annual openings

Flight Attendants is at 18,500 annual openings, compared with 4,300 annual openings for Passenger Attendants.

Flight Attendants has the edge on projected growth

Flight Attendants is at 8.8% projected growth, compared with 6% projected growth for Passenger Attendants.

73.9/ 100

Flight Attendants

48.9/ 100

Passenger Attendants

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Flight Attendants vs Passenger Attendants

Dimension	Flight Attendants	Passenger Attendants
Median pay (2025)	$63,580	$37,720
Pay percentile	54.6 percentile	7.9 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	8.8%	6%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	18,500	4,300
2025 employment	133,700	27,200
How you qualify	High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: less than 5 years; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing	High school diploma or equivalent; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 2	Job Zone 2
Related work experience	Prior related experience: less than 5 years.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.	One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Flight Attendants brief Read Passenger Attendants brief

Flight Attendants vs Passenger Attendants: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Flight Attendants

Passenger Attendants

How the national numbers differ

Flight Attendants has the edge on median pay

Flight Attendants has the edge on annual openings

Flight Attendants has the edge on projected growth

Flight Attendants vs Passenger Attendants

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