How to hire flight attendants

Job description template

Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.

[Job title] at [Company name]
[City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range]

About the role
[Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.]

What you will do
• 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.
• Determine special assistance needs of passengers, such as small children, the elderly, or persons with disabilities.
• Direct and assist passengers in emergency procedures, such as evacuating a plane following an emergency landing.
• Monitor passenger behavior to identify threats to the safety of the crew and other passengers.
• Prepare passengers and aircraft for landing, following procedures.
• 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.

What you bring
• [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any]
• [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: High school diploma or equivalent]
• Strong speaking, active listening, monitoring, active learning, critical thinking and reading comprehension skills
• Working knowledge of customer and personal service, public safety and security and English Language
• [Anything else you would really turn someone away for]

Pay and benefits
[Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $63,580 a year.
[Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.]

How to apply
[Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]

Copy the template Check your finished job post

Interview questions for flight attendants

Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.

1. Tell me about a time you had to administer first aid to passengers in distress. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
2. Tell me about a time you had to announce and demonstrate safety and emergency procedures, such as the use of oxygen masks, seat belts, and life jackets. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
3. Tell me about a time you had to determine special assistance needs of passengers, such as small children, the elderly, or persons with disabilities. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
4. Tell me about a time you had to direct and assist passengers in emergency procedures, such as evacuating a plane following an emergency landing. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
5. Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
6. Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
7. How do you keep track of your own work quality during a busy shift or week? Give an example of catching a problem early.
8. Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?

Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.

What flight attendants do

• 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.
• Determine special assistance needs of passengers, such as small children, the elderly, or persons with disabilities.
• Direct and assist passengers in emergency procedures, such as evacuating a plane following an emergency landing.
• Monitor passenger behavior to identify threats to the safety of the crew and other passengers.
• Prepare passengers and aircraft for landing, following procedures.
• 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.

Skills that matter most

SpeakingActive ListeningMonitoringActive LearningCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionCustomer and Personal ServicePublic Safety and SecurityEnglish Language

Education, experience and outlook for flight attendants

• Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
• Related work experience most have: Up to 1 month (O*NET)
• Experience usually needed to start: Less than 5 years (BLS)
• Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
• Job outlook: +8.8% over ten years, much faster than average · about 18,500 openings a year (BLS)

What to pay flight attendants

Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:

See flight attendants pay in every state

Related hiring guides

• Passenger Attendants
• Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks
• Airfield Operations Specialists
• Baggage Porters and Bellhops
• Transportation Security Screeners
• Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors
• Air Traffic Controllers
• Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers
• Locker Room, Coatroom, and Dressing Room Attendants
• Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers

Job duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.