Soaring Incomes: A Look into Flight Attendants’ Paychecks

Being a flight attendant is a job that many people dream about. The professional appearance of flight attendants in uniform greeting passengers on the plane is impressive. At one point, it was a dream job for many job seekers, garnering a lot of attention due to its high salary.

Many people might wonder how much flight attendants earn. Of course, it varies by airline, but generally, their salaries are competitive with those of large corporations. In addition to their base salary, there are also various allowances. Let’s find out how much flight attendants earn, including these additional allowances.

It is somewhat known that airline flight attendants earn a high salary. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, their salaries were severely reduced. With reduced working hours, their wages decreased significantly.

Flight attendants’ salaries consist of base salaries, flight allowances, other allowances, and bonuses. Before COVID-19, they received monthly salaries of about $2,700, which dropped to about $900 during the pandemic. Many even had to take unpaid leave.

However, as flight hours have increased after COVID-19, flight attendants’ salaries have returned to their previous levels.

Recently, retired flight attendants have been revealing their past monthly wage slips or mentioning their salaries in videos, providing a rough idea of a flight attendant’s salary.

According to Korean Air Newsroom, the starting salary for new flight attendants varies by airline but is roughly between $32,400 and $36,000. The salary of a flight attendant is divided into a base salary, flight allowances, and bonuses. The base salary is similar to a regular employee’s, but the total earnings are relatively higher due to various allowances.

The flight allowance varies not by region but by flight time. Major airlines tend to pay their flight attendants slightly more than low-cost airlines. The flight allowance is calculated as allowance per flight hour x hours. As this varies among flight attendants, there is a difference in monthly salaries.

As for the salary differences between airlines, the average starting salaries for Korean Air and Asiana Airlines flight attendants are around $31,500 to $34,200. The monthly salary varies depending on the flight hours. In addition to the base salary, other allowances such as overseas stay allowances, bonuses, and transportation expenses raise the monthly earnings.

According to the YouTube channel Flying Note, run by a former flight attendant, a staff-level flight attendant earns an average of about $2,700, a manager-level earns about $4,500, and a director-level earns about $6,300 per month. Asiana Airlines offers similar levels.

Jeju Air is known for having one of the highest salaries among budget airlines. Interns earn about $28,800, which increases with flight allowances and per diems. A three—to four-year flight attendant earns about $36,000; by the fifth year, they reach the high $36,000 range.

Jin Air’s initial salaries after hiring average in the mid $27,000 range. A 3-4 year flight attendant, including local allowances per diem, earns about $36,000 to high $36,000 and can earn up to $45,000 when flying longer hours.

T’way flight attendants start with a salary of about $27,000 to mid $27,000, which can reach about $36,000, including stay allowances. A regular employee earns in the high $36,000 range.

The salary of a flight attendant consists of a base salary and many other allowances. Their salary can be significantly inflated because of the varying flight schedules each month. As they accumulate years of service and if they fly a lot, especially during bonus months, they can earn a much higher monthly salary.

In addition to their salary, flight attendants also enjoy notable benefits. These include discounted tickets for employees, their spouses, parents from both sides and children. Non-guaranteed seats can be discounted up to 90% off the regular price, while guaranteed seats can be discounted by about 50%.

Other benefits include educational support, employee apartment support, and cultural and leisure support systems. The ability to receive various allowances is also a significant advantage.