Flight Attendant
A Flight Attendant provides safety and passenger service on commercial aircraft during flight operations. They conduct pre-flight and in-flight safety checks, demonstrate emergency procedures, serve food and beverages, and assist passengers with comfort and medical needs in accordance with airline policies and Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) regulations.
What this job is
A Flight Attendant provides safety and passenger service on commercial aircraft during flight operations. They conduct pre-flight and in-flight safety checks, demonstrate emergency procedures, serve food and beverages, and assist passengers with comfort and medical needs in accordance with airline policies and Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) regulations. They work in a confined, pressurised environment and respond to in-flight incidents or emergencies according to strict safety protocols.
Are employers advertising this role?
Fewer than 50 vacancies were advertised nationally in the latest month. The numbers are too small to draw a reliable trend.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index.
Day-to-day
Conduct pre-flight safety briefings and demonstrate emergency evacuation procedures, oxygen mask deployment, and seatbelt usage to passengers. Perform cabin and galley inspections before departure to verify safety equipment, first aid kits, emergency exits, and overhead lockers are secure. Prepare and serve food, beverages, and duty-free goods to passengers using airline service standards and catering manifests. Monitor passenger behaviour and comfort during flight, responding to requests for pillows, blankets, medications, and toilet assistance. Recognise and respond to medical emergencies or passenger illness using first aid training and airline medical protocols, including use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Operate galley equipment including ovens, coffee makers, and beverage trolleys safely in a moving aircraft environment. Secure the cabin during turbulence by stowing service trolleys, ensuring loose items are stored, and instructing passengers to remain seated. Conduct headcount and passenger manifest verification during boarding and prior to pushback to ensure all scheduled passengers are accounted for.
Who does this now
About 6,200 people worked in this occupation across Australia at the 2021 Census.
What this role asks for
Certificate IV or Certificate III with at least two years of on-the-job training (ABS skill level 3)
Can employers fill these jobs
Employers hiring for this occupation had trouble finding suitable applicants in regional Australia in 2025, but not in the major cities. Ratings are not the same everywhere. ACT was rated in shortage. This measures how hard employers found it to fill jobs. It is not a count of jobs, and it does not say whether the occupation is growing.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, Training Occupation Pathways dataset, March 2026, version 1.0
Jobs and Skills Australia defines an occupation-ready qualification as:
Completing this qualification will provide the skills and knowledge to undertake this occupation. Further training and experience may be required to meet specific industry requirements including licensing and registration.
Jobs and Skills Australia, Training Occupation Pathways dataset, March 2026, version 1.0
Requirements
The standard entry pathway requires a Certificate IV or Certificate III with at least two years of on-the-job training (ABS skill level 3). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.
The honest hard part
The pay is modest for the irregular hours and physical demands. You're on your feet serving for 8+ hours on long flights, managing difficult passengers, dealing with jet lag across time zones, and working early mornings, nights, and weekends regularly. The certification burden is real too - you need airline-specific safety and emergency training before you earn a cent.
Where the jobs are
Practically speaking, regional Australia has almost no opportunities. Remote work doesn't exist in this role.
Pay
Published for ANZSCO unit group 4517, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.
This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.
Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
Skills
- Active Listeningcore
- Adaptability and Flexibilitycore
- Attention to Detailcore
- Complaint Handlingcore
- Conflict De-escalationcore
- Cultural Awareness and Sensitivitycore
- Customer Needs Assessmentcore
- Empathy and Emotional Intelligencecore
- Incident Reportingcore
- Multitaskingcore
- Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
- Risk Identificationcore
- Team Collaborationcore
- Time Management and Prioritisationcore
- Verbal Communicationcore
- Conflict Resolution
- Escalation Management
- Health Terminology Literacy
- Inclusive Practice
- Problem Solving
- Regulatory and Legislative Awareness
- Trauma-Informed Communication
- Workload Self-Management
Which of these do you have?
Tick the ones you haveCommon questions
Sources
- ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
- ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
- ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.
Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.
What Flight Attendant workers move into, from ten years of tax records.
Last updated: 30 October 2026
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