Passenger Attendants earn a median of $37,720 per year ($18.14/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 6.0% through 2035, with about 4,300 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 53-6061
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Passenger Attendant in four numbers
- Median pay
- $37,720a year, or $18.14/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $28KTop 10% $47K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +6.0%Faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+6%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +6% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 4,30027,200 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202527.2K
- Projected 203528.9K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 27.2K Projected 2035 28.9K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Attendant, Bus Aide, Bus Assistant, Bus Attendant, Bus Monitor, Cabin Attendant.
Pay
How much do Passenger Attendants make?
Every passenger attendant in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$37,720
Middle half earn $31,240 to $41,680
- 10th
- $27,970
- 25th
- $31,240
- 75th
- $41,680
- 90th
- $46,590
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $27,970 |
| 25th | $31,240 |
| Median | $37,720 |
| 75th | $41,680 |
| 90th | $46,590 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $37,720
- Median hourly wage
- $18.14/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $37,820
- People employed
- 27,110
Versus all US occupations
At $37,720, Passenger Attendants earn 26% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $13,260 a year.
Versus transportation and material moving occupations
Inside the Transportation and Material Moving group, where the middle occupation pays $62,840, this is 40% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $46,590 or more while the bottom 10% earn $27,970, a gap of 1.7×. That is a narrow spread, so experience and employer move pay less than in most occupations.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 5% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Alaska pays the most at $54,290, and still leads at $53,039 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Passenger Attendants the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Alaska | $54,290 | $53,039 | 220 |
| 2District of Columbia | $52,730 | $47,980 | 710 |
| 3Kentucky | $44,810 | $49,701 | N/A |
| 4Massachusetts | $43,350 | $40,990 | 1,330 |
| 5California | $43,340 | $39,144 | 2,810 |
| 6Hawaii | $42,360 | $38,526 | 610 |
| 7Washington | $41,760 | $39,023 | 900 |
| 8New York | $41,590 | $38,537 | 3,190 |
| 9Michigan | $40,250 | $41,833 | 840 |
| 10Oregon | $39,910 | $38,612 | N/A |
Job outlook
Is Passenger Attendant a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Faster than average. +6.0% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Passenger Attendants | +6% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Passenger Attendants to change 6.0% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 1,600 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 4,300 openings are projected each year, 15.8% of the 27,200 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Passenger Attendant
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
The work
What does a Passenger Attendant do?
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.
Day-to-day tasks
- Perform equipment safety checks prior to departure.
- Respond to passengers' questions, requests, or complaints.
- Determine or facilitate seating arrangements.
- Explain and demonstrate safety procedures and safety equipment use.
- Greet passengers boarding transportation equipment and announce routes and stops.
- Open and close doors for passengers.
- Provide boarding assistance to elderly, sick, or injured people.
- Signal transportation operators to stop or to proceed.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely seriousMistakes are not usually serious.
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening3.8
- Speaking3.8
- Monitoring3.3
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Reading Comprehension2.9
- Active Learning2.9
- Writing2.6
- Learning Strategies2.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.8 |
| Speaking | 3.8 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.9 |
| Active Learning | 2.9 |
| Writing | 2.6 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness3.6
- Service Orientation3.6
- Persuasion3.0
- Instructing3.0
- Coordination2.9
- Negotiation2.9
- Complex Problem Solving2.8
- Judgment and Decision Making2.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.6 |
| Service Orientation | 3.6 |
| Persuasion | 3.0 |
| Instructing | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 2.9 |
| Negotiation | 2.9 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.8 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Electronic mail software
- Time accounting software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Passenger Attendant?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Passenger Attendant |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 4 |
| Investigative | 1 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 4 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with teaching, helping and working directly with other people.
- Conventional4.5
- Social4.3
- Realistic3.8
- Enterprising3.1
- Investigative1.1
- Artistic1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Passenger Attendant
O*NET related occupations
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Personal Care and Service
- Office and Administrative Support
Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agent and Travel Clerk
$44,390median a year
Most earn $32K to $78K
+2.5%High school - Transportation and Material Moving
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Transportation and Material Moving
- First-Line Supervisor of Passenger Attendants · $62,840 median
More transportation and material moving careers
Median annual pay, with passenger attendants highlighted
- Airline Pilot$232,140
- Commercial Pilot$123,220
- Locomotive Engineer$81,410
- Railroad Conductor and Yardmaster$78,000
- Crane and Tower Operator$68,080
- Flight Attendant$63,580
- Truck Driver$58,640
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector$49,690
- Passenger Attendant$37,720
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Airline Pilot | $232,140 |
| Commercial Pilot | $123,220 |
| Locomotive Engineer | $81,410 |
| Railroad Conductor and Yardmaster | $78,000 |
| Crane and Tower Operator | $68,080 |
| Flight Attendant | $63,580 |
| Truck Driver | $58,640 |
| Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector | $49,690 |
| Passenger Attendant | $37,720 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Passenger Attendant appears on
Questions
Passenger Attendant: frequently asked questions
How much do Passenger Attendants make?
Passenger Attendants earn a median of $37,720 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 26% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $18.14/hr. The middle half earn between $31,240 and $41,680. The top 10% earn $46,590 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Passenger Attendant?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Passenger Attendants. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training.
Is Passenger Attendant a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 6.0% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 4,300 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Passenger Attendant do?
Provide services to ensure the safety of passengers aboard ships, buses, trains, or within the station or terminal. A core O*NET task: perform equipment safety checks prior to departure. Employers most often ask for Office suite software, Operating system software, Word processing software.
Which states pay Passenger Attendants the most?
The highest state medians for Passenger Attendants are Alaska ($54,290), District of Columbia ($52,730), Kentucky ($44,810) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Passenger Attendant?
O*NET scores Passenger Attendants highest on the Conventional, Social and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with teaching, helping and working directly with other people. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ESFJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.