Passenger Attendants Salary
The median pay for a passenger attendants in Illinois is $38,930/year ($18.72/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $39K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $41,481 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,407/month, about 53% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Illinois. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $39K get you in Illinois?
About passenger attendants
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What this looks like in Illinois
Passenger attendants pay in Illinois tracks closely to the national median, $39K locally vs. $38K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,407/month, which is 53.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level passenger attendants (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $39K or more, a $7K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track passenger attendants salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a passenger attendant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 53.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for passenger attendants in Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new passenger attendants typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,889/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 74% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is passenger attendant a high-paying job in Illinois?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $39K locally vs. $38K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for passenger attendants?
Illinois pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $38K — that’s +3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $41K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do passenger attendants make in Illinois?
The median is $38,930 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,480, and experienced passenger attendants can clear $38,930. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,616/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 53.8% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a passenger attendants salary go in Illinois?
Illinois has a Regional Price Parity of 93.85 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median passenger attendants salary is worth about $41,481 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do passenger attendants get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.