Aircraft Service Attendants
Aircraft Service Attendants (SOC 53-6032) earn a median $40,450 a year ($19.45 an hour) in the United States, with 31,300 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Maryland.
What aircraft service attendants do
Aircraft service attendants prepare parked aircraft for their next flight by supplying fuel and other consumables. Refueling is the core task. Depending on the airport and the season, the attendant may also de-ice the aircraft, refill water and cooling agents, empties lavatory waste tanks, services air and oxygen systems, and cleans and polishes the exterior. O*NET lists titles such as aircraft fueler, airline refueler, aircraft deicer, aircraft detailer, and aircraft cleaner, which together cover the fueling, de-icing, and cleaning sides of the job. The SOC definition describes the work as servicing aircraft with fuel, with the other duties listed as things the attendant may do. The O*NET data used here carries no core task list for this occupation, so the description follows the SOC wording.
Also called: Aircraft Cleaner, Aircraft Deicer, Aircraft Detailer, Aircraft Fueler, Aircraft Refueler.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $16.26 | $17.18 | $19.45 | $22.52 | $27.70 | $20.83 | 31,300 |
| Annual | $33,830 | $35,740 | $40,450 | $46,830 | $57,610 | $43,330 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where aircraft service attendants earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Maryland | Hourly | $18.35 | $21.39 | $34.49 | $36.18 | $38.12 | $30.15 | 240 | 0.09 | 0.44 |
| Annual | $38,170 | $44,500 | $71,740 | $75,250 | $79,280 | $62,710 | ||||
| Tennessee | Hourly | $17.79 | $19.21 | $27.22 | $27.38 | $27.70 | $24.13 | 580 | 0.18 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $37,000 | $39,950 | $56,620 | $56,960 | $57,610 | $50,180 | ||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $23.77 | $24.43 | $25.85 | $28.44 | $31.51 | $26.66 | 290 | 0.46 | 2.28 |
| Annual | $49,440 | $50,820 | $53,770 | $59,160 | $65,530 | $55,450 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $20.23 | $23.15 | $24.29 | $29.33 | $31.39 | $26.09 | 710 | 0.20 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $42,080 | $48,150 | $50,520 | $61,000 | $65,290 | $54,260 | ||||
| Minnesota | Hourly | $16.97 | $19.00 | $22.56 | $22.94 | $23.69 | $21.51 | 380 | 0.13 | 0.64 |
| Annual | $35,300 | $39,510 | $46,930 | $47,700 | $49,280 | $44,730 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $15.09 | $16.50 | $18.62 | $22.29 | $23.52 | $19.39 | 3,290 | 0.23 | 1.16 |
| Annual | $31,400 | $34,330 | $38,720 | $46,370 | $48,920 | $40,340 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $15.15 | $16.95 | $18.46 | $21.07 | $30.74 | $20.34 | 2,340 | 0.24 | 1.17 |
| Annual | $31,510 | $35,260 | $38,400 | $43,830 | $63,930 | $42,300 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $20.04 | $20.83 | $22.50 | $26.01 | $36.60 | $25.47 | 2,300 | 0.13 | 0.63 |
| Annual | $41,680 | $43,320 | $46,800 | $54,100 | $76,130 | $52,980 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $19.29 | $19.44 | $21.24 | $21.88 | $28.01 | $22.14 | 1,490 | 0.41 | 2.03 |
| Annual | $40,130 | $40,440 | $44,190 | $45,500 | $58,260 | $46,060 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $18.20 | $19.15 | $21.44 | $26.29 | $28.23 | $22.98 | 1,450 | 0.15 | 0.74 |
| Annual | $37,860 | $39,820 | $44,600 | $54,680 | $58,730 | $47,800 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Bozeman, MT | Hourly | $22.59 | $23.62 | $27.78 | $27.78 | $27.78 | $25.99 | 30 | 0.47 | 2.33 |
| Annual | $46,980 | $49,130 | $57,780 | $57,780 | $57,790 | $54,060 | ||||
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | Hourly | $18.30 | $24.54 | $27.22 | $27.38 | $27.70 | $25.27 | 440 | 0.72 | 3.56 |
| Annual | $38,060 | $51,050 | $56,620 | $56,960 | $57,610 | $52,560 | ||||
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | Hourly | $18.35 | $18.35 | $25.91 | $36.17 | $36.18 | $27.24 | 100 | 0.08 | 0.37 |
| Annual | $38,170 | $38,170 | $53,890 | $75,240 | $75,250 | $56,670 | ||||
| Urban Honolulu, HI | Hourly | $23.77 | $24.17 | $24.97 | $31.51 | $31.51 | $26.76 | 150 | 0.34 | 1.67 |
| Annual | $49,440 | $50,270 | $51,930 | $65,530 | $65,530 | $55,660 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $22.34 | $23.67 | $24.31 | $29.22 | $35.44 | $28.58 | 210 | 0.09 | 0.44 |
| Annual | $46,460 | $49,230 | $50,570 | $60,770 | $73,720 | $59,440 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $18.73 | $20.05 | $21.76 | $26.38 | $28.23 | $23.25 | 1,910 | 0.20 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $38,970 | $41,700 | $45,250 | $54,860 | $58,730 | $48,350 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $19.29 | $19.44 | $21.24 | $21.88 | $28.04 | $22.41 | 1,390 | 0.51 | 2.56 |
| Annual | $40,130 | $40,440 | $44,190 | $45,510 | $58,320 | $46,610 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $16.27 | $16.91 | $20.59 | $22.40 | $23.54 | $20.38 | 1,280 | 0.32 | 1.57 |
| Annual | $33,840 | $35,180 | $42,830 | $46,590 | $48,970 | $42,400 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $20.04 | $20.73 | $22.69 | $26.01 | $37.19 | $26.14 | 1,060 | 0.17 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $41,680 | $43,120 | $47,200 | $54,100 | $77,350 | $54,360 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $15.37 | $18.04 | $20.15 | $21.67 | $31.42 | $20.82 | 1,040 | 0.37 | 1.83 |
| Annual | $31,970 | $37,530 | $41,910 | $45,070 | $65,350 | $43,310 | ||||
Top industries employing aircraft service attendants
Support Activities for Air Transportation employ 62.3% of aircraft service attendants nationally (19,500 jobs) at a median $42,680 a year ($20.52 an hour), followed by Scheduled Air Transportation (20.6%) and Nonscheduled Air Transportation (4.2%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support Activities for Air Transportation NAICS 488100 | 19,500 | 62.3% | $42,680 | $20.52 |
| Scheduled Air Transportation NAICS 481100 | 6,450 | 20.6% | $35,740 | $17.18 |
| Nonscheduled Air Transportation NAICS 481200 | 1,310 | 4.2% | $43,080 | $20.71 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4241, 4247, and 4249 only) NAICS 4240A3 | 1,000 | 3.2% | $45,970 | $22.10 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 810 | 2.6% | $38,580 | $18.55 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (31,300). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $36,390 for aircraft service attendants in May 2021 and $40,450 in May 2025, with employment of 12,170 and 31,300.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $36,390 | $17.50 | 12,170 |
| May 2022 | $37,050 | $17.81 | 19,720 |
| May 2023 | $39,110 | $18.80 | 24,940 |
| May 2024 | $41,540 | $19.97 | 27,310 |
| May 2025 | $40,450 | $19.45 | 31,300 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
46 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland profile | $34.49 | $71,740 | $38,170 | $79,280 | 240 | 0.09 | 0.44 |
| 2 | Tennessee profile | $27.22 | $56,620 | $37,000 | $57,610 | 580 | 0.18 | 0.87 |
| 3 | Hawaii profile | $25.85 | $53,770 | $49,440 | $65,530 | 290 | 0.46 | 2.28 |
| 4 | Washington profile | $24.29 | $50,520 | $42,080 | $65,290 | 710 | 0.20 | 1.00 |
| 5 | Minnesota profile | $22.56 | $46,930 | $35,300 | $49,280 | 380 | 0.13 | 0.64 |
| 6 | Utah profile | $22.55 | $46,900 | $38,470 | $50,490 | 180 | 0.11 | 0.52 |
| 7 | California profile | $22.50 | $46,800 | $41,680 | $76,130 | 2,300 | 0.13 | 0.63 |
| 8 | Alaska profile | $22.48 | $46,760 | $41,920 | $60,740 | 300 | 0.93 | 4.63 |
| 9 | Montana profile | $22.27 | $46,310 | $37,150 | $57,780 | 170 | 0.34 | 1.68 |
| 10 | New Jersey profile | $22.22 | $46,210 | $36,550 | $54,860 | 920 | 0.22 | 1.07 |
| 11 | Kansas profile | $22.10 | $45,960 | $31,670 | $60,230 | 260 | 0.18 | 0.90 |
| 12 | New Hampshire profile | $21.93 | $45,610 | $36,290 | $46,400 | 60 | 0.09 | 0.42 |
| 13 | New Mexico profile | $21.77 | $45,280 | $36,120 | $62,580 | 220 | 0.26 | 1.28 |
| 14 | New York profile | $21.44 | $44,600 | $37,860 | $58,730 | 1,450 | 0.15 | 0.74 |
| 15 | Colorado profile | $21.39 | $44,500 | $33,500 | $56,590 | 1,220 | 0.43 | 2.11 |
| 16 | North Dakota profile | $21.31 | $44,320 | $36,660 | $58,430 | 120 | 0.27 | 1.36 |
| 17 | Massachusetts profile | $21.24 | $44,190 | $40,130 | $58,260 | 1,490 | 0.41 | 2.03 |
| 18 | Arizona profile | $21.05 | $43,780 | $36,510 | $55,010 | 540 | 0.17 | 0.83 |
| 19 | Ohio profile | $20.82 | $43,310 | $32,120 | $47,720 | 770 | 0.14 | 0.69 |
| 20 | Alabama profile | $20.72 | $43,090 | $32,180 | $59,230 | 400 | 0.19 | 0.94 |
| 21 | Louisiana profile | $20.64 | $42,930 | $29,930 | $58,240 | 660 | 0.34 | 1.70 |
| 22 | Georgia profile | $20.50 | $42,630 | $28,490 | $61,940 | 590 | 0.12 | 0.60 |
| 23 | Wisconsin profile | $20.19 | $42,000 | $35,830 | $46,680 | 90 | 0.03 | 0.16 |
| 24 | Maine profile | $19.91 | $41,400 | $35,440 | $58,380 | 160 | 0.25 | 1.25 |
| 25 | Michigan profile | $19.89 | $41,360 | $30,640 | $47,000 | 230 | 0.05 | 0.26 |
| 26 | Nevada profile | $19.58 | $40,730 | $36,470 | $90,300 | 720 | 0.46 | 2.29 |
| 27 | Idaho profile | $19.35 | $40,250 | $36,870 | $44,380 | 80 | 0.09 | 0.46 |
| 28 | Oregon profile | $19.14 | $39,820 | $32,720 | $49,850 | 470 | 0.24 | 1.18 |
| 29 | Connecticut profile | $18.86 | $39,230 | $37,120 | $45,720 | 210 | 0.13 | 0.62 |
| 30 | Virginia profile | $18.85 | $39,210 | $31,840 | $44,660 | 730 | 0.18 | 0.89 |
| 31 | Illinois profile | $18.78 | $39,070 | $34,230 | $49,470 | 750 | 0.12 | 0.61 |
| 32 | Kentucky profile | $18.68 | $38,850 | $34,910 | $60,720 | 400 | 0.20 | 0.99 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania profile | $18.67 | $38,830 | $33,660 | $47,400 | 800 | 0.13 | 0.66 |
| 34 | Texas profile | $18.62 | $38,720 | $31,400 | $48,920 | 3,290 | 0.23 | 1.16 |
| 35 | Florida profile | $18.46 | $38,400 | $31,510 | $63,930 | 2,340 | 0.24 | 1.17 |
| 36 | Arkansas profile | $18.41 | $38,290 | $31,710 | $39,660 | 110 | 0.09 | 0.44 |
| 37 | Delaware profile | $18.23 | $37,920 | $37,110 | $46,020 | 40 | 0.09 | 0.44 |
| 38 | Nebraska profile | $18.04 | $37,530 | $33,770 | $49,100 | 220 | 0.21 | 1.06 |
| 39 | Indiana profile | $17.98 | $37,390 | $35,740 | $45,740 | 200 | 0.06 | 0.31 |
| 40 | Mississippi profile | $17.65 | $36,710 | $23,770 | $81,390 | 260 | 0.23 | 1.12 |
| 41 | Oklahoma profile | $17.62 | $36,640 | $28,710 | $44,740 | 240 | 0.14 | 0.69 |
| 42 | Missouri profile | $17.60 | $36,610 | $30,070 | $48,660 | 420 | 0.14 | 0.71 |
| 43 | Wyoming profile | $17.48 | $36,360 | $35,360 | $49,920 | 100 | 0.37 | 1.85 |
| 44 | South Carolina profile | $17.37 | $36,130 | $29,590 | $43,140 | 290 | 0.13 | 0.62 |
| 45 | Iowa profile | $17.10 | $35,560 | $31,140 | $45,510 | 160 | 0.10 | 0.50 |
| 46 | West Virginia profile | $14.83 | $30,840 | $30,430 | $45,020 | 30 | 0.05 | 0.24 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (53-6030), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Transportation and Material Moving Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 53-6032 Aircraft Service Attendants.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 53-6032, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 53-6032.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.