SOC 53-1044.00

    First-Line Supervisors of Passenger Attendants

    Supervise and coordinate activities of passenger attendants.

    Median pay
    $62,890
    Growth
    +3.0%
    As fast as average
    Openings a year
    54,900
    Typical education
    High school diploma

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections · figures for the broader BLS group "First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors"

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $43,360
    Median
    $62,890
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $96,150
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    623,640 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    First-line supervisors of passenger attendants manage and coordinate the workers who assist travelers. The broader category of transportation and material moving supervisors earns a median annual pay of $62,890.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What first-line supervisors of passenger attendants do

    Job Zone 3: Medium preparation

    Supervise and coordinate activities of passenger attendants.

    Usually vocational training, an associate degree or related experience.

    What the work is like

    People in this career oversee the staff who serve passengers on airplanes, trains, and ships. Daily activities center around guiding, directing, and motivating subordinates, as well as coaching, training, and building teams. Supervisors must inspect equipment and materials, gather operational information, and make decisions to solve problems. They communicate regularly with peers, managers, and the public to ensure safety and service quality.

    Success in this role requires strong skills in active listening, speaking, reading comprehension, and personnel management. Supervisors must understand transportation systems, public safety, customer service, and human resources. This work appeals to individuals with enterprising interests who enjoy leadership and taking initiative. Key work styles include dependability, cooperation, self-control, and high stress tolerance when handling public service challenges.

    How to get there

    To enter this career, candidates typically need at least a high school diploma. However, the role generally requires medium preparation, which often includes vocational training, an associate degree, or significant experience in a related transportation job.

    Students interested in this path may choose to major in air transportation. Depending on the location, some states list specific licensing requirements for this work. Common job titles in this field include flight service manager, passenger service supervisor, flight purser, and passenger ship steward.

    Pay and outlook explained

    The median annual pay for this occupation is $62,890. The lowest 10% of workers earn less than $43,360, while the highest 10% earn more than $96,150. These wage statistics represent the broader group of first-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, excluding aircraft cargo handling supervisors.

    There are 623,640 people employed in this broader category. Between 2025 and 2035, employment is projected to grow by 3%, which is as fast as the average for all occupations. Approximately 54,900 job openings are expected to become available each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    27 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    1 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    0 / 100
    Social (S)
    51 / 100
    Enterprising (E) · strongest
    92 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    71 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code ECS. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
    93
    Getting Information
    93
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    92
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    92
    Coaching and Developing Others
    89
    Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
    89
    Developing and Building Teams
    89
    Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates
    88
    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    88
    Training and Teaching Others
    88
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Active Listening
    • Service Orientation
    • Speaking
    • Critical Thinking
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Active Learning
    • Coordination
    • Instructing
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Management of Personnel Resources

    Knowledge

    • Transportation
    • Public Safety and Security
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Administration and Management
    • English Language
    • Personnel and Human Resources
    • Administrative
    • Psychology
    • Education and Training
    • Computers and Electronics

    Abilities

    • Speech Clarity
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Oral Expression
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Speech Recognition
    • Written Expression
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Information Ordering
    • Near Vision

    Work styles

    • Dependability
    • Leadership Orientation
    • Cooperation
    • Social Orientation
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Self-Control
    • Integrity
    • Attention to Detail
    • Perseverance
    • Initiative

    Also called

    Airflight Attendants Supervisor · Airplane Flight Attendant Supervisor · Airplane Pilot Supervisor · Flight Purser · Flight Service Manager · On Car Supervisor · Passenger Service Manager · Passenger Service Supervisor · Passenger Ship Steward · Pilot Supervisor

    Career pathway

    From your interests to first-line supervisors of passenger attendants

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • First-Line Supervisors of Passenger Attendants$62,890 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1
      Utah Valley University

      Orem, UT · Air Transportation · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $70,419
      4 yrs after
      $106,001
      Median debt
      $20,375
    2. 2University of North Dakota logo
      University of North Dakota

      Grand Forks, ND · Air Transportation · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $59,101
      4 yrs after
      $104,472
      Median debt
      $25,250
    3. 3Utah State University logo
      Utah State University

      Logan, UT · Air Transportation · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $43,591
      4 yrs after
      $103,989
      Median debt
      $24,375
    4. 4Minnesota State University-Mankato logo
      Minnesota State University-Mankato

      Mankato, MN · Air Transportation · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $57,213
      4 yrs after
      $103,858
      Median debt
      $21,500
    5. 5
      Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus

      Portales, NM · Air Transportation · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $91,027
      4 yrs after
      $103,617
      Median debt
      $19,143
    6. 6Liberty University logo
      Liberty University

      Lynchburg, VA · Air Transportation · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $77,466
      4 yrs after
      $102,096
      Median debt
      $20,500
    7. 7
      Ohio University-Main Campus

      Athens, OH · Air Transportation · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $56,127
      4 yrs after
      $99,701
      Median debt
      $25,000
    8. 8
      Middle Georgia State University

      Macon, GA · Air Transportation · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $53,459
      4 yrs after
      $93,627
      Median debt
      $19,035

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What first-line supervisors of passenger attendants may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Airline Flight Attendant

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    1 state lists a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about first-line supervisors of passenger attendants

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some common job titles for this career?

    Workers in this field are known by various titles depending on the transportation sector. Common names include flight service manager, passenger service supervisor, flight purser, airplane flight attendant supervisor, and passenger ship steward.

    What level of education is typically required to start?

    A high school diploma is the typical minimum education needed to enter the field. However, many workers prepare through vocational training, associate degrees, or prior work experience in passenger service.

    Are there licensing requirements for passenger attendant supervisors?

    Licensing requirements vary by location. Some states list specific licenses for individuals performing this supervisory transportation work.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    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. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Page data updated November 6, 2026.