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Passenger Attendants: Career Profile
Provide services to ensure the safety of passengers aboard ships, buses, trains, or within the station or terminal. Perform duties such as explaining the use of safety equipment, serving meals or beverages, or answering questions related to travel.
What Do Passenger Attendants Perform?
Typical responsibilities of passenger attendants span:
- Secure passengers for transportation by buckling seatbelts or fastening wheelchairs with tie-down straps.
- Provide boarding assistance to elderly, sick, or injured people.
- Respond to passengers' questions, requests, or complaints.
- Determine or facilitate seating arrangements.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Top passenger attendants rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Passenger Attendants Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Airline Lounge Receptionist
- Airport Attendant
- Attendant
- Bath Aide
- Bath Steward
- Bath Stewardess
- Bus Aide
- Bus Assistant
How Many Passenger Attendants Are There?
There are about 699,234 passenger attendants working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -0.2% over the projection horizon.
Passenger Attendants Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $33,031 |
| Hourly median | $15.88 |
| 10th percentile | $20,918 |
| 25th percentile | $26,974 |
| 75th percentile | $39,087 |
| 90th percentile | $45,144 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $54,290 |
| District of Columbia | $52,730 |
| Washington | $45,430 |
| Kentucky | $44,020 |
| Hawaii | $41,760 |
| California | $40,890 |
| New York | $40,470 |
| Oregon | $39,190 |
| Michigan | $39,180 |
| New Jersey | $39,100 |
| Minnesota | $39,080 |
| Florida | $38,810 |
| Georgia | $38,410 |
| Connecticut | $36,590 |
| Colorado | $36,400 |
| Maryland | $36,300 |
| Louisiana | $36,230 |
| Arizona | $35,880 |
| Massachusetts | $35,670 |
| Utah | $33,780 |
| Missouri | $33,500 |
| Maine | $33,410 |
| Oklahoma | $32,270 |
| Pennsylvania | $32,040 |
| Wisconsin | $31,610 |
| Nevada | $31,340 |
| North Carolina | $30,490 |
| Texas | $30,330 |
| Illinois | $29,120 |
| Virginia | $28,610 |
| South Carolina | $27,040 |
| Tennessee | $26,720 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Compensation for passenger attendants vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $41,966 | 22.8% | 2.02 |
| Middle Atlantic | $40,882 | 28.7% | 2.45 |
| Southeast | $35,998 | 13.3% | 0.94 |
| New England | $35,631 | 5.8% | 1.58 |
| Rocky Mountains | $33,780 | 0.3% | 0.21 |
| Southwest | $30,735 | 24.0% | 1.98 |
| Great Lakes | $28,397 | 5.2% | 0.84 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $49,920 | 840 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $45,430 | 520 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $43,710 | 520 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | HI | $43,610 | 250 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $43,540 | 140 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $40,460 | 4,180 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | FL | $40,330 | 890 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $38,740 | 130 |
Industry Breakdown
The bulk of passenger attendants work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing | 21,180 | $36,450 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 170 | $33,400 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 50 | $28,990 |
| Educational Services | 40 | $37,840 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tools and Technology
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for passenger attendants reflects the following characteristics:
- Physical Proximity
- Contact With Others
- Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People
- Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures
- Spend Time Sitting
Getting Started in This Career
Entry-level passenger attendants positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Orderlies (Supplemental)
- School Bus Monitors (Supplemental)
- Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop (Supplemental)
- Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers (Supplemental)
- Locker Room, Coatroom, and Dressing Room Attendants (Primary-Long)
- Baggage Porters and Bellhops (Primary-Short)
- Concierges (Supplemental)
- Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks (Supplemental)
Sources
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 53-6061.00 (Passenger Attendants).
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