BLS flight attendant salary at every level and in the states BLS reports, pay per flight hour, and take-home after 2026 tax
Flight attendants earned a median salary of $63,580 in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' count of 131,650. The bottom tenth earned under $35,110 and the top tenth over $136,430; schedules, routes and advancement all go by seniority (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). BLS reports flight attendant pay only as an annual figure, so the calculator starts from the salary and lets you divide it by the hours you fly.
This is the BLS line for flight attendants (SOC 53-2031) on airline payrolls. Scheduled airlines employ 97% of them (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). BLS releases state figures for only some states, because flight attendants are concentrated at airline bases. BLS publishes no hourly wage for this job, only annual pay, so the hourly column is blank. Take-home assumes a single filer with 2026 federal tax and FICA and no state tax.
| Pay level | Hourly | Annual | Monthly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | — | $35,110 | $2,926 | $30,391 |
| 25th percentile | — | $51,760 | $4,313 | $43,769 |
| Median | — | $63,580 | $5,298 | $53,267 |
| 75th percentile | — | $95,640 | $7,970 | $76,113 |
| 90th percentile | — | $136,430 | $11,369 | $104,516 |
BLS releases flight attendant pay for only 19 states, those with large airline bases. New York leads by a wide margin at $126,650, then Utah ($82,730) and California ($82,170), which has the most flight attendants, 15,840. Texas ($58,220) and Florida ($47,320) have the next-largest crews; Pennsylvania's $39,520 is the lowest released median.
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | — | $126,650 | 12,060 |
| Utah | — | $82,730 | 2,490 |
| California | — | $82,170 | 15,840 |
| Georgia | — | $78,320 | — |
| Connecticut | — | $78,180 | 250 |
| Washington | — | $74,090 | — |
| Michigan | — | $62,490 | — |
| Ohio | — | $62,440 | 990 |
| Idaho | — | $62,200 | — |
| Illinois | — | $62,120 | 9,350 |
| Arizona | — | $61,780 | 4,590 |
| Massachusetts | — | $61,510 | 4,390 |
| Oregon | — | $61,480 | 980 |
| Minnesota | — | $61,230 | 4,050 |
| Colorado | — | $59,500 | 7,110 |
| Texas | — | $58,220 | 13,470 |
| Nevada | — | $51,800 | 4,040 |
| Florida | — | $47,320 | 13,220 |
| Pennsylvania | — | $39,520 | 2,290 |
Charter and other nonscheduled carriers pay a higher median, $70,700, than scheduled airlines ($63,570), but scheduled airlines employ 97% of flight attendants (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
| Industry | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Nonscheduled air transportation | $70,700 |
| Scheduled air transportation | $63,570 |
Flight attendants work nights, weekends and holidays because airlines fly every day, and they may spend several nights a week or a month away from home. Duty days run from 4 to 18 hours or more on international trips, with FAA-required rest between them. Each month they fly a set number of hours and spend more on the ground preparing flights, writing reports and waiting for aircraft, and a contract between the airline and the union usually fixes the daily and monthly limits. Almost everyone starts on reserve — on call, living near the home airport — and home base and routes are assigned by seniority (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). Part-time work is common.
Like pilots, flight attendants work for air carriers, whose employees are exempt from the FLSA's overtime requirement (DOL Handy Reference Guide to the FLSA). Pay for extra trips and long duty days comes from the union contract. BLS's figures include guaranteed pay and deadheading pay but leave out meal and lodging payments such as per diem (BLS OEWS FAQ), so per diem is extra to everything below.
BLS publishes flight attendant pay only as an annual salary, and the Occupational Outlook Handbook gives no single figure for monthly flying — each airline's contract sets it. The table divides each BLS pay level by 75 flight hours a month as an example; enter the hours your own line or reserve schedule credits in the calculator.
| Pay level | Annual (BLS) | Per flight hour (75 a month) |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,110 | $39.01 |
| 25th percentile | $51,760 | $57.51 |
| Median | $63,580 | $70.64 |
| 75th percentile | $95,640 | $106.27 |
| 90th percentile | $136,430 | $151.59 |
A high school diploma and customer-service experience are the usual entry point, and some airlines prefer applicants with college coursework. Airlines run initial training of several weeks to a few months — evacuations, emergency equipment, first aid — and trainees who pass get the FAA Certificate of Demonstrated Proficiency. Attendants are certified for specific aircraft types and retrain every year. Advancement is by seniority: senior attendants lead the cabin on international flights and can move into recruiting, instruction or scheduling (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
More ways to work with your flight attendant pay:
$63,580 a year at the BLS median for May 2025. The middle half earned $51,760 to $95,640.
New York ($126,650 a year), then Utah and California; Pennsylvania pays least among the 19 states where BLS released a figure (BLS, May 2025).
BLS's annual figure is everything the airline reports as straight-time pay, including guaranteed and deadheading pay. How boarding, delays and ground duties are paid is set by each airline's union contract; the calculator's 'other duty hours' box shows what your salary works out to once you count them.
Usually. Almost all start on reserve and pay and schedules improve with seniority (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). The 10th and 25th percentiles in the table are the closer guide for a first-year salary.
Tax rules, limits and pay data change. Check the current figures with the primary source before acting on them.