Flight Attendant Salary in 2026: Pay Range, Take-Home and Pay by State
Last updated 10/31/2026 by
SuperMoney Team
Edited by
Andrew Latham
Summary:
The median flight attendant earns $63,580 a year, according to May 2025 BLS data. After 2026 federal taxes, that’s about $4,439 a month for a single filer. Pay ranges from a median of $39,520 in Pennsylvania to $126,650 in New York.
Data as of: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, the most recent release. Take-home figures use 2026 federal tax rules. Updated October 2026.
Here’s the part most people don’t know about flight attendant pay: on many airlines, the main hourly rate covers flight time, roughly from when the cabin door closes to when it opens again. Boarding, delays and the walk through the terminal have traditionally paid little or nothing, though some airlines now add boarding pay.
That’s why the pay range is so wide. The median flight attendant earns $63,580 a year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). But the bottom 10% earn under $35,110 and the top 10% earn more than $136,430. Seniority, which sets your routes and schedule, does most of the sorting.
How much does a flight attendant make?
| Pay period | Median | Average (mean) |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly | $1,223 | $1,489 |
| Every two weeks | $2,445 | $2,978 |
| Monthly | $5,298 | $6,453 |
| Yearly | $63,580 | $77,440 |
The median is the middle: half of flight attendants earn more and half earn less. The average is higher because top earners pull it up. Figures are for wage and salary workers and don’t include self-employed flight attendants, tips, overtime premiums or benefits. About 131,650 flight attendants were on payrolls in May 2025.
Want to see the same math for any pay rate? Our hourly to salary chart converts every rate from $7.25 to $100 an hour, and $30 an hour a year and $63,000 a year an hour break down the numbers closest to this job.
Flight Attendant pay range: entry level to top earners
| Percentile | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% | $35,110 |
| 25th percentile | $51,760 |
| Median (50th) | $63,580 |
| 75th percentile | $95,640 |
| Top 10% | $136,430 |
How flight attendant pay works
- Flight-hour pay. Your main rate is per flight hour, set by a union contract at most large airlines. The contract also sets how many hours you can work per day and month.
- Per diem. The BLS notes flight attendants get an allowance for meals and lodging while away from base. Per diem is paid per hour away and is often partly tax-free, so it stretches further than the same amount of wages.
- Seniority. Routes, home base and schedules are assigned by seniority. New hires usually start on reserve (on call), and pay climbs each year on the contract’s pay scale.
- Perks with real dollar value. Free standby travel and discounted fares for you and often family. Airlines may make you buy your first uniforms and luggage, then usually pay for replacements.
Plan for an uneven first year. Pay that swings month to month is harder to budget than a steady salary. Build your budget on your lowest typical month, not your best one, and park the extra in savings.
Flight Attendant take-home pay in 2026
A $63,580 salary doesn’t land in your checking account as $63,580. Here’s what a single filer at the median keeps after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, using 2026 tax brackets and the $16,100 standard deduction.
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gross pay | $63,580 |
| Federal income tax | -$5,450 |
| Social Security and Medicare (FICA) | -$4,864 |
| Take-home pay, yearly | $53,267 |
| Take-home pay, monthly | $4,439 |
| Take-home pay, every two weeks | $2,049 |
That’s an all-in federal rate of about 16.2%, with each extra dollar taxed at 12% plus 7.65% FICA. State income tax comes out on top of this, from 0% in states like Texas, Florida and Washington to more than 5% of income in high-tax states. Pre-tax 401(k) and health insurance contributions lower your tax bill but also your paycheck.
Flight Attendant salary by state
Median pay by state, highest to lowest. State medians reflect local demand and cost of living, so a higher number doesn’t always mean more money left over. The BLS doesn’t publish a flight attendant median for 32 states, usually because too few work there to report reliably.
| State | Median annual pay | vs. U.S. median |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $126,650 | +99% |
| Utah | $82,730 | +30% |
| California | $82,170 | +29% |
| Georgia | $78,320 | +23% |
| Connecticut | $78,180 | +23% |
| Washington | $74,090 | +17% |
| Michigan | $62,490 | -2% |
| Ohio | $62,440 | -2% |
| Idaho | $62,200 | -2% |
| Illinois | $62,120 | -2% |
| Arizona | $61,780 | -3% |
| Massachusetts | $61,510 | -3% |
| Oregon | $61,480 | -3% |
| Minnesota | $61,230 | -4% |
| Colorado | $59,500 | -6% |
| Texas | $58,220 | -8% |
| Nevada | $51,800 | -19% |
| Florida | $47,320 | -26% |
| Pennsylvania | $39,520 | -38% |
Where flight attendants earn the most
| Industry | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Nonscheduled air transportation (charter) | $70,700 |
| Scheduled air transportation (airlines) | $63,570 |
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, median pay in the top industries employing flight attendants, May 2025.
How to budget on a flight attendant salary
Start with the take-home number, not the salary. At the median, that’s about $4,439 a month. A simple 50/30/20 split looks like this:
| Bucket | Share | Monthly amount |
|---|---|---|
| Needs (rent, utilities, groceries, insurance, minimum debt payments) | 50% | $2,219 |
| Wants (eating out, travel, subscriptions) | 30% | $1,332 |
| Savings and extra debt payoff | 20% | $888 |
If rent alone eats most of the $2,219 needs bucket, that’s the signal to trim wants or find a roommate, not to stop saving. The SuperMoney app makes this easier: link your checking, credit cards and loans, and it sorts your spending into categories so you can see which bucket is overflowing. It flags subscriptions you forgot about and tracks your net worth month to month. You can also ask Sense AI, the app’s built-in money coach, questions like “Can I afford a $2,000 apartment on my pay?” Get it on the App Store or Google Play.
Saving that 20% is what turns a good salary into wealth. To see where you stand, compare yourself with the median net worth by age and check how much you should have in your 401(k).
More salary guides:dental hygienist salary, radiology tech salary, electrician salary, sonographer salary, actuary salary, and what counts as a good salary.
Frequently asked questions
How much do flight attendants make an hour?
The BLS doesn’t publish an hourly wage for flight attendants, because pay is based on flight hours rather than a 40-hour week. Spread over 2,080 hours, the $63,580 median works out to about $30.57 an hour.
What is the starting salary for a flight attendant?
The BLS doesn’t track starting pay directly. The bottom 10% of flight attendants earn under $35,110 and the bottom 25% earn under $51,760, which is a reasonable range for new flight attendants.
Which state pays flight attendants the most?
New York has the highest median at $126,650, followed by Utah ($82,730) and California ($82,170). Pennsylvania has the lowest at $39,520. High-paying states often have a higher cost of living, so compare pay to rent before you move.
How much does a flight attendant take home after taxes?
A single filer earning the $63,580 median takes home about $53,267 a year, or $4,439 a month, after federal income tax and FICA in 2026, before any state income tax or pre-tax deductions.
Do flight attendants get paid during boarding?
Traditionally, many airlines paid the main rate only for flight time. Some airlines now pay a boarding rate, often a fraction of the hourly rate, under newer contracts. Check the specific airline’s contract.
Is the job outlook good for flight attendants?
The BLS projects employment of flight attendants to grow 9% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3% for all occupations. That’s about 18,500 openings a year.
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