Flight Attendants
Alternative careers
Related career paths that build on similar skills and experience
Why it fits
Uses airport operations, safety rules, timing pressure, ramp coordination, crew communication, and regulatory awareness.
Why it fits
Uses aviation safety rules, airport operations awareness, incident response, weather disruption handling, and radio coordination.
Why it fits
Fits workers with emergency composure using radio communication, prioritization, incident logs, and protocol-driven response.
Why it fits
Transfers polished guest service, travel problem solving, local information, reservations, service recovery, and discretion.
Occupation snapshot
What does this snowflake show?
What's this?
We rate jobs using four factors. These are:
- Chance of being automated
- Job growth
- Wages
- Volume of available positions
These are some key things to think about when job hunting.
Risk & user votes
Calculated automation risk
Low Risk (21-40%): This occupation has a lower risk of full replacement by AI, software, or robotic systems. Some tasks may be automated or assisted, but the role usually still relies on human judgement, communication, responsibility, physical adaptability, or practical decision-making.
More information on what this score is, and how it is calculated is available here.
Human strengths important in this job
These are human abilities and work contexts that are important in this occupation. They may help explain why parts of the role are harder to replace end-to-end, but they are not the only inputs into the automation score.
Assisting and caring for others
Very importantWhy this matters
Working directly with the public
Very importantWhy this matters
Decision-making and problem solving
Quite importantWhy this matters
Coordinating others’ work
Quite importantWhy this matters
Psychology knowledge
Quite importantWhy this matters
Show 1 more strength
Active learning
Quite importantWhy this matters
What users think
Based on 509 votes
Our visitors have voted there's a low chance this occupation will be automated. This assessment is further supported by the calculated automation risk level, which estimates 37% chance of automation.
What do you think the risk of automation is?
What is the likelihood that Flight Attendants will be replaced by robots or artificial intelligence within the next 20 years?
Sentiment
Based on user votes over time
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How opinions have changed over time
Pay & outlook
Wages
In 2024, the median annual wage for Flight Attendants was $67,130 ($32 per hour).
The median annual wage for Flight Attendants was 35.6% higher than the national median annual wage, which stood at $49,500.
View wage trend
Wages over time
Growth
The number of 'Flight Attendants' job openings is expected to rise 9.2% by 2034
View employment trend
Total employment, and estimated job openings
Updated projections are due 09-2025.
Volume
As of 2024 there were 130,110 people employed as 'Flight Attendants' within the United States.
This represents around 0.08% of the employed workforce across the country
Put another way, around 1 in 1 thousand people are employed as 'Flight Attendants'.
People also viewed
Job description
Monitor safety of the aircraft cabin. Provide services to airline passengers, explain safety information, serve food and beverages, and respond to emergency incidents.
O*NET-SOC code: 53-2031.00
What people are saying (30)
Plus, robots can't do such things as CPR or use a first aid kit, for example. So, it's pretty risky.
I have witnessed a decline in the manners and decorum of the passengers traveling. Possibly, the added stress to passengers of airport safety procedures has taken a toll on their nerves. I remember when friends and family could accompany passengers to the gate. Now, the seats are packed in like sardines in a can.
Airline competition made the way for no-frills service and more passengers in smaller seats on airplanes. This has taken a toll on everyone's stress levels. Still, I see friendly FAs who are doing their best to accommodate everyone onboard and assuage those who are already frazzled by the time they take their seats.
A robot may make the dispersion of in-flight commodities easier but it can never take care of all of the emergencies that FAs are trained to handle, the medical emergencies, the duplicate and other seating problems, the myriad of human interactions that FA's handle, unaccompanied children, wheelchair passengers, interaction with cockpit and ground staff, etc., etc. the list goes on, not even considering a major emergency like a hijack incident.
You have vastly underestimated the uber-selective hiring, initial and ongoing training that FAs have. Did you know that they have to take FAA-mandated emergency testing yearly on every airplane which they are qualified to work and pass the test with a 90-100% grade. This includes physical testing in airplane simulators., first aide, resuscitation and cardio procedures etc.
If you see an FA behaving in the unprofessional manner you have described, you should write a letter to the airline about that employee.
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