Flight Attendant Job Description Information

A flight attendant earned a median annual salary of $35,930 in 2008, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The flight attendant is responsible for ensuring the safety and comfort of airline passengers before, during and after airplane flights. To work as a flight attendant, an individual must be Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified and have customer service experience. Employers also prefer an applicant with a college degree and flight attendant training.

 

Communication Tasks

• A flight attendant is responsible for greeting passengers and showing them to their seats. Also, he answers any questions passengers have about the flight schedule, travel routes and arrival times. Before takeoff, he must explain and demonstrate how to use emergency and safety procedures, such as wearing life jackets or oxygen masks.
  
• In addition, an attendant announces plane procedures, departures, delays and descent preparations. Another part of the job description is reassuring passengers that everything will be fine during stressful situations.

Helping Duties

• Besides communicating with passengers, a flight attendant has to assist passengers. For example, she places their property, like luggage, in the overhead storage compartments. Or, she is responsible for assisting the elderly, disabled or young passengers.
  
• During emergencies, a flight attendant needs to direct and help passengers leave the plane. If a passenger has a medical emergency, a flight attendant is responsible for providing first aid.

Administrative Tasks

• Besides flight duties, a flight attendant is responsible for paperwork. For instance, he must prepare reports, which include information about completed flights.
  
• An attendant must attend meetings too. The meetings, called preflight briefings, are conducted by the captain. The flight attendant receives information about the weather, routes and numbers of passengers.
  
• A flight attendant needs to check all emergency equipment, like fire extinguishers, to ensure they are in proper working order. Moreover, she must check that supplies, such as blankets, food and beverages, are stocked.

Food Service Duties

• Food service is also a part of the job description. An attendant is expected to heat and serve prepared foods, according to BLS. Also, he has to sell alcoholic beverages.

Hours

• Typically, a flight attendant must work 12 hours a day but be available to work approximately 14 hours. An attendant receives 9 hours to rest following each shift. Thus, a monthly schedule consists of over 65 hours of flying time and 50 hours doing administrative work.

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Flight Attendant Salary Information

Flight attendants ensure the safety and comfort of passengers. Before the flight, they direct passengers to their seats, brief them on safety regulations and evacuation procedures and check that the cabin is prepared for takeoff. In the air, flight attendants may serve food and beverages, answer questions related to the flight, provide assistance, administer first aid and take inventory on headsets and money collected. According to a salary report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were 98,700 flight attendants in the country as of May 2008. Earnings are dependent on factors like work experience and industry.

 

Annual Salaries

• According to the BLS, the average annual salary flight attendants living in the United States was $39,840 in May 2008. The median annual earnings for the occupation were $35,930. The middle 50 percent brought home between $28,420 and $49,910 and the 10 percent of flight attendants who earned the least made less than $20,580. The highest-paid tenth earned more than $65,350.

Starting Salaries

• According to data from a 2009 salary survey conducted by the Association of Flight Attendants, beginning flight attendants had median annual earnings of $16,191 that year. An April 2010 salary survey by the private company Payscale.com places the median expected hourly wage range of flight attendants at $12.77 through $18.23. However, according to the BLS, the starting salaries of flight attendants can vary from one carrier to the next. Typically, all new hires at a particular airline are paid the same, regardless of past experience as a flight attendant, according to the BLS.

Work Experience

• The earnings of a flight attendant generally increase with work experience. According to the same salary survey by Payscale.com, flight attendants with between one and four years of work experience can expect to earn between $17.49 and $22.44 hourly. That median expected hourly wage range increases to $23.39 through $30.26 for flight attendants with between five and nine years of work experience. Those who have been on the job between 10 and 19 years bring home between $33.68 and $43.52 hourly.

Industry

• Another factor that can affect the earnings of flight attendant is type of industry. The vast majority (98 percent) of U.S. flight attendants work in the scheduled air-transportation industry, according to the BLS. This industry encompasses commercial air carriers that depart regularly from airports. Flight attendants in this industry earn $39,730. With an average annual salary of $43,080, flight attendants in the nonscheduled air-transportation industry earn higher incomes. Flight attendants in this industry usually work on private planes. Flight attendants employed by what the BLS classifies as the "management of companies and enterprises" industry are the top earners. They bring home $71,120 and there were only 50 in the country as of May 2008. These flight attendants are generally employed by executives or individuals to accompany them on their flights.

Perks and Benefits

• Some airline companies pay bonuses to flight attendants for working night, holiday and international flights. Generally, flight attendants receive free or discounted flights on their company's airline. Sometimes, they get discounted flights on other carriers. This privilege is also typically extended to their immediate families. Attendants are entitled to medical and life insurance, retirement packages, paid vacations and stock options. While on the job, flight attendants are compensated for meals and other necessary expenses like dry cleaning.

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How to Become a Flight Attendant

The main responsibility of flight attendants is to make certain that airline safety regulations are carried out aboard an aircraft. Although their salaries are relatively low, flight attendants receive the major benefit of free fares from their own airline and reduced fares from other carriers.

1. Search for flight attendant open house listings in the newspapers of larger cities, or check online with individual airlines for job opportunities and requirements.
2. Understand that your competition will have at least a two-year college degree and customer service experience, and that many airlines now require both.
3. Learn at least one foreign language if you plan to work for an international airline.
4. Accept that you may have to relocate to another city at the beginning of your career.
5. Be prepared to live on a reserve status for at least one year after your initial four- to six-week training period. You will need to be available as an on-call person, often on short notice. Advancement into regular assignments results from seniority, and the competition is fierce.
6. Expect to fly 75 to 85 hours a month and to also work on the ground. But realize that you will be paid for flight time only.

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