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Occupation Description

Provide personal services to ensure the safety and comfort of airline passengers during flight. Greet passengers, verify tickets, explain use of safety equipment, and serve food or beverages.

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State and National Wages

Wage Table

Hourly Wage Chart

Yearly Wage Chart

Location	Pay Period	2009
		10%	25%	Median	75%	90%
United States	Hourly	—	—	—	—	—
	Yearly	$25,400	$31,100	$40,000	$51,500	$71,300
California	Hourly	—	—	—	—	—
	Yearly	$26,600	$29,200	$33,500	$49,300	$61,100

Note: There is no hourly wage data available for this occupation.

Wage Table

Hourly Wage Chart

Yearly Wage Chart

• High is the wage at which 90% of workers earn less and 10% earn more.
• Middle is the wage at which 50% of workers earn less and 50% earn more.
• Low is the wage at which 10% of workers earn less and 90% earn more.

Wage Table

Hourly Wage Chart

Yearly Wage Chart

• High is the wage at which 90% of workers earn less and 10% earn more.
• Middle is the wage at which 50% of workers earn less and 50% earn more.
• Low is the wage at which 10% of workers earn less and 90% earn more.

Occupation Wages FAQs

Median Wage by Occupation Across States
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National Data Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics Survey
State Data Source: California Occupational Wages

State and National Trends

Note: The data for the State Employment Trends and the National Employment Trends are not directly comparable. The projections period for state data is 2006-2016, while the projections period for national data is 2008-2018.

Occupation Trends FAQs

Employment Trends by Occupation Across States
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Employment Trends by Industry and Occupation

National Data Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections
State Data Source: California Employment Development Department, Labor Market Information Division

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

The most important knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) are listed for Flight Attendants.

Knowledge:

• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Transportation - Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

Skills:

• Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Abilities:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Source: Occupational Information Network: Flight Attendants.

Tasks and Activities

Occupation specific tasks and the most important generalized work activities are listed for Flight Attendants.

Occupation Specific Tasks:

• Administer first aid to passengers in distress.
• Announce and demonstrate safety and emergency procedures, such as the use of oxygen masks, seat belts, and life jackets.
• Announce flight delays and descent preparations.
• Answer passengers' questions about flights, aircraft, weather, travel routes and services, arrival times, or schedules.
• Assist passengers entering or disembarking the aircraft.
• Assist passengers in placing carry-on luggage in overhead, garment, or under-seat storage.
• Attend preflight briefings concerning weather, altitudes, routes, emergency procedures, crew coordination, lengths of flights, food and beverage services offered, and numbers of passengers.
• Check to ensure that food, beverages, blankets, reading material, emergency equipment, and other supplies are aboard and are in adequate supply.
• Collect money for meals and beverages.
• Conduct periodic trips through the cabin to ensure passenger comfort and to distribute reading material, headphones, pillows, playing cards, and blankets.
• Determine special assistance needs of passengers such as small children, the elderly, or disabled persons.
• Direct and assist passengers in emergency procedures, such as evacuating a plane following an emergency landing.
• Greet passengers boarding aircraft and direct them to assigned seats.
• Heat and serve prepared foods.
• Inspect and clean cabins, checking for any problems and making sure that cabins are in order.
• Inspect passenger tickets to verify information and to obtain destination information.
• Operate audio and video systems.
• Prepare passengers and aircraft for landing, following procedures.
• Prepare reports showing places of departure and destination, passenger ticket numbers, meal and beverage inventories, the conditions of cabin equipment, and any problems encountered by passengers.
• Reassure passengers when situations such as turbulence are encountered.
• Sell alcoholic beverages to passengers.
• Take inventory of headsets, alcoholic beverages, and money collected.
• Verify that first aid kits and other emergency equipment, including fire extinguishers and oxygen bottles, are in working order.
• Walk aisles of planes to verify that passengers have complied with federal regulations prior to takeoffs and landings.

Generalized Work Activities:

• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public - Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• Performing General Physical Activities - Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.

Detailed Work Activities:

• accommodate requests of passengers
• answer customer or public inquiries
• assist handicapped persons
• assist individuals into or out of vehicles, boats, aircraft, or rides
• assist passengers to store luggage
• assist patrons or passengers to find seats
• calculate monetary exchange
• collect payment
• conduct or attend staff meetings
• demonstrate or explain assembly or use of equipment
• ensure compliance with government regulations
• ensure equipment is operating to prescribed standards
• follow aviation emergency procedures
• greet customers, guests, visitors, or passengers
• inventory stock to ensure adequate supplies
• maintain records, reports, or files
• operate audio-visual equipment
• operate emergency fire or rescue equipment
• page or announce information to patrons, passengers or others
• prepare reports
• provide customer service
• provide personal services to passengers
• receive customer orders
• serve food or beverages
• understand government alcoholic beverage service regulations
• understand government health, hotel or food service regulations
• use aircraft safety regulations
• use first aid procedures
• use knowledge of food handling rules
• use oral or written communication techniques
• verify ticket or pass

Source: Occupational Information Network: Flight Attendants.

Tools and Technology

Flight Attendants  View Detailed Report

Tools:

• Aircraft escape or ejection systems - Emergency exit doors and windows, Evacuation slides, Slideraft packs, Window exit escape ropes
• Aircraft oxygen equipment - Chemical oxygen generators, Portable oxygen bottles, Protective breathing equipment, Supplemental oxygen systems
• Cool containers - Refreshment carts, Refrigeration units, Storage compartments
• Life vests or preservers - Flotation seat cushions, Life preservers
• Lifeboats or liferafts - Emergency rafts, Sliderafts

Technology:

• Calendar and scheduling software - AD OPT Altitude, Arkitektia Flight Itinerary, Bid Assistant, SBS International Maestro Suite, ValtamTech Flight Crew Log
• Computer based training software - IBM Lotus LearningSpace

Source: Occupational Information Network: Flight Attendants.

Education and Training

Occupation: Flight Attendants
Most Common Educational/Training Level: Long-term on-the-job training
Related Instructional Programs: Airline Flight Attendant

WIA Eligible Training Provider List: http://etpl.edd.ca.gov/wiaetplind.htm

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections (Education/Training Level, Educational Attainment); National Center for Education Statistics (Typical Instructional Programs)

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