Flight Attendant Salary: How Much Do They Make? (2026)

Median pay, hourly rates, salary ranges, and best-paying states for Flight Attendants — from official U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Official BLS wage data · Unknown vintage
Median Salary
$63,580
per year, national
Hourly Rate
$30.57
based on 2,080 hrs/yr
Top 10% Earn
$136,430
entry level starts ~$35,110
Pay Grade
B
solid pay · 132,000 employed

How much does a Flight Attendant make?

A Flight Attendant earns a median annual salary of $63,580 in the United States, which works out to roughly $30.57 per hour for full-time work. Most Flight Attendants earn between $35,110 at the entry level and $136,430 at the senior end, with the middle 50% taking home between $51,760 and $95,640 a year.

That is $2,190 more than the median across all occupations in BLS data ($61,390).

Flight Attendant salary range by percentile

Half of all Flight Attendants earn between $51,760 and $95,640 a year.

Pay levelAnnual salaryHourly rate
10th percentile (entry level)$35,110$16.88
25th percentile (early career)$51,760$24.88
50th percentile (median)$63,580$30.57
75th percentile (experienced)$95,640$45.98
90th percentile (top earners)$136,430$65.59

Highest-paying states for Flight Attendant

Where you work matters more than almost anything else. New York leads the country for Flight Attendant pay at $126,650 a year, followed by Utah ($82,730) and California ($82,170). At the other end, Pennsylvania posts the lowest median at $39,520 — a gap of $87,130 for the same job, driven by local demand, industry mix, and cost of living.

#StateMedian salaryHourlyvs national
1New York$126,650$60.89+99%
2Utah$82,730$39.77+30%
3California$82,170$39.50+29%
4Georgia$78,320$37.65+23%
5Connecticut$78,180$37.59+23%

Workforce and education

About 132,000 people work as Flight Attendants in the United States. The mean (average) wage is $77,440 — above the median, which means high earners pull the average up. On qualifications: a high school diploma is typically enough, with most skills learned on the job, per O*NET occupation data.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Flight Attendant make in the United States?
The median Flight Attendant salary in the United States is $63,580 per year, or about $30.57 per hour, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates. Entry-level pay (10th percentile) starts around $35,110, while the top 10% of earners make $136,430 or more.
How does Flight Attendant pay compare to other jobs?
With a pay grade of B (solid pay), the Flight Attendant median of $63,580 is above the national median across all occupations tracked in BLS data ($61,390).
Which state pays Flight Attendants the most?
New York is the highest-paying state for Flight Attendants, with a median salary of $126,650 per year, based on official state-level BLS wage estimates.
How long does it take to become a Flight Attendant?
Becoming a Flight Attendant typically requires a high school diploma. A high school diploma is typically enough, with most skills learned on the job.
How many Flight Attendants work in the United States?
About 132,000 people were employed as Flight Attendants in the United States in the latest BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics estimates.

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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Unknown vintage. Education requirements: O*NET (U.S. Department of Labor). Percentiles, employment, and state figures are official BLS estimates; hourly figures assume 2,080 hours/year. Individual pay varies by employer, experience, and location.