Passenger Attendants Salary
The median pay for a passenger attendants in Memphis, TN-MS-AR is $27,380/year ($13.17/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $22K at the entry level to $35K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.18), which stretches that salary to about $29,703 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,274/month, about 62.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $27K get you in Memphis?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Memphis’s Regional Price Parity (92.18). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About passenger attendants
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What this looks like in Memphis
Pay for passenger attendants in Memphis runs about 27% below the U.S. median of $38K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,274/month, which is 63.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.18 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for passenger attendantss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for passenger attendants in metros near Memphis, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $23K | $24K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $26K | $26K |
| Kansas City | $33K | $36K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $36K | $37K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Memphis, TN-MS-AR
Entry-level passenger attendants (10th percentile) start around $22K. Mid-career wages sit at $27K. Top earners bring in $35K or more, a $12K spread from bottom to top.
Passenger Attendants pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Passenger Attendants salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $54K | +44% | 220 |
| District of Columbia | $53K | +40% | 710 |
| Kentucky | $45K | +19% | N/A |
| Massachusetts | $43K | +15% | 1,330 |
| California | $43K | +15% | 2,810 |
| Hawaii | $42K | +12% | 610 |
| Washington | $42K | +11% | 900 |
| New York | $42K | +10% | 3,190 |
| Michigan | $40K | +7% | 840 |
| Oregon | $40K | +6% | N/A |
| New Jersey | $40K | +5% | 640 |
| Illinois | $39K | +3% | 1,700 |
| Virginia | $39K | +3% | 70 |
| Colorado | $38K | -0% | 870 |
| Arizona | $37K | -2% | 250 |
| North Carolina | $36K | -5% | 110 |
| Connecticut | $34K | -9% | 110 |
| Missouri | $34K | -10% | 480 |
| Maryland | $33K | -12% | 950 |
| Pennsylvania | $33K | -13% | 500 |
| Oklahoma | $33K | -13% | 40 |
| Nevada | $32K | -15% | 90 |
| Texas | $31K | -17% | 5,170 |
| Florida | $30K | -21% | 2,590 |
| South Carolina | $29K | -24% | 120 |
| Tennessee | $27K | -27% | 300 |
| Georgia | $26K | -30% | N/A |
| Ohio | $26K | -30% | N/A |
| Utah | $26K | -31% | 370 |
| Wisconsin | $25K | -35% | 330 |
Showing 1–10 of 30 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track passenger attendants salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Memphis numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a passenger attendant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Memphis?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $27K, rent takes 63.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,274/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for passenger attendants in Memphis?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new passenger attendants typically earn — is $22K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,345/month. At HUD’s $1,274/month FMR, rent would take 95% 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 Memphis?
Local pay runs 27% below the national median — $27K here vs. $38K nationally. Cost of living is 8% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Memphis compare to the national average for passenger attendants?
Memphis pays $27K median vs. the U.S. average of $38K — that’s -27%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.18), the purchasing-power equivalent is $30K — below the national median.
How much do passenger attendants make in Memphis, TN-MS-AR?
The median is $27,380 a year, that works out to about $13 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $22,420, and experienced passenger attendants can clear $34,660. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $27K enough to live in Memphis?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,003/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,274/month, which eats 63.6% 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 Memphis?
Memphis has a Regional Price Parity of 92.18 (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 $29,703 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.