Median Hourly Wage

• The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics state that the median annual salary for flight attendants is around $35,930, according to data collected in 2008. The top earners in the industry earn an average of $65,350, and entry-level attendants and the lowest-paid flight attendants earn $20,580 per year. The given salary is influenced by individual airlines and the incentives offered by working on holidays, during night flights and on longer international flights. Some flight attendant positions pay more due to the additional responsibility of completing flight paperwork.
  
  

Work Schedule

• A flight attendant's schedule may not follow a regular eight hour work day, especially if a flight is more than eight hours long. Agreements regarding total daily hours and monthly hours are usually made between the employees' union and the airline, according to the bureau. The same reference explains that flight attendants fly between 65 and 90 hours per month, while 50 hours are spent on the ground preparing paperwork and preparing the cabin of a plane for a flight. Given the annual salary figures from the bureau, a flight attendant earns anywhere between $395 and $1257 per week. However, the median weekly salary is approximately $691.
  
  

Additional Benefits

• On top of the annual salary, flight attendants also get additional benefits after passing a three to six month probation period. One of the benefits includes getting flight discounts for immediate family members or reduced fares on other airlines. Additional benefits include medical and dental insurance, as well as life insurance. Retirement plans, 401K plans, paid holidays, paid vacations and tuition reimbursement are often part of the benefit plan as well.
  
  

Job Prospects

• The bureau explains that there is a continuous demand for flight attendants, but that only the most qualified individuals are hired for the available positions. Candidates with a college degree and experience interacting with people of various backgrounds and religious beliefs have a higher chance of getting hired, according to the bureau. As the presence of airlines expands, the need for flight attendants will grow as well.