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The national median salary for Passenger Attendants is $37,731 per year ($18.14/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $31,242 and $41,683 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $46,592 per year. There are approximately 27,110 passenger attendants employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+4.7%
Faster than average
Annual openings
4K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
26K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
3% from new growth97% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Support Activities for Air Transportation
NAICS 488100
17K
$36,220
School and Employee Bus Transportation
NAICS 485400
1K
$31,480
Facilities Support Services
NAICS 561200
1K
$41,590
Rail Transportation
NAICS 482100
900
$43,780
Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation
NAICS 485900
890
$39,460
Wage range across top 5 industries: $31,480 to $43,780 (39% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$13.45
$27,976
P25
$15.02
$31,242
P50MEDIAN
$18.14
$37,731
P75
$20.04
$41,683
P90
$22.40
$46,592
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
3.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market rebounded in March: hires jumped to 5.6M (+655K) and separations rose to 5.4M (+356K), both more than offsetting February's drop. Job openings held at 6.9M. Quits ticked to 2.0%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average passenger attendants salary?
The national median salary for Passenger Attendants is $37,731 per year ($18.14/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $31,242 and $41,683 annually.
How much do top-earning passenger attendants make?
The 90th percentile salary for Passenger Attendants is $46,592 per year ($22.40/hr). The 75th percentile is $41,683 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for passenger attendants?
Entry-level Passenger Attendants (10th percentile) earn approximately $27,976 per year ($13.45/hr). The 25th percentile is $31,242 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.