Passenger Attendants: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Transportation and Material Moving · SOC 53-6061 · O*NET 53-6061.00
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.
Passenger Attendants fall under the Transportation and Material Moving category in the U.S. occupational classification. Passenger Attendants earn a median salary of $37,560 per year, ranking in the top 90% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +4.7% job growth through 2034, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, certifications, or postsecondary credentials, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do passenger attendants earn?
The median annual wage for passenger attendants is $37,560. That puts passenger attendants at #731 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is around or below the U.S. median for individual workers, so career growth often depends on advancement into supervisory roles, specialization, or additional credentials. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $29,120 |
| 25th percentile | $32,090 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $37,560 |
| 75th percentile | $41,180 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $49,510 |
| Median hourly wage | $18.06/hr |
Is passenger attendants a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for passenger attendants is +4.7%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 25K positions in 2024 to 26K in 2034, a net change of 1K. Average growth signals a healthy, resilient occupation that mirrors broader U.S. employment trends. Job availability tends to track regional economic conditions.
What do passenger attendants do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working passenger attendants, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Respond to passengers' questions, requests, or complaints.
- 2.Determine or facilitate seating arrangements.
- 3.Secure passengers for transportation by buckling seatbelts or fastening wheelchairs with tie-down straps.
- 4.Provide boarding assistance to elderly, sick, or injured people.
Top skills for passenger attendants
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become passenger attendant?
Many passenger attendants enter the field with a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, though employers increasingly favor candidates with certifications or some postsecondary coursework. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about passenger attendants
What is the median salary for passenger attendants?
The median annual salary for passenger attendants is $37,560 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is passenger attendants a growing career?
BLS projects +4.7% growth for passenger attendants from 2024 through 2034, which is average growth projected to grow at roughly the US average.
What education does my child need to become passenger attendant?
The typical entry path requires a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, certifications, or postsecondary credentials, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to passenger attendants?
Related occupations within the Transportation and Material Moving category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.