Most employees in the air transportation industry receive standard benefits, such as paid vacation and sick leave and
life and health insurance, and often profit-sharing and retirement plans as well. Some airlines provide allowances to
employees for purchasing and cleaning their company uniforms. A unique benefit—free or reduced-fare transportation
for airline employees and their immediate families—attracts many jobseekers. Earnings in selected occupations in
air transportation appear in table 2.
Table 2. Median annual earnings of the largest occupations in air transportation, 2002
| Occupation |
Air transportation |
All industries |
| Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers |
$126,840 |
$109,580 |
| Aircraft mechanics and service technicians |
48,050 |
43,070 |
| First-line supervisors/managers of office and administrative support workers |
45,500 |
38,820 |
| Commercial pilots |
44,890 |
47,970 |
| Flight attendants |
43,200 |
43,140 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general |
40,610 |
29,370 |
| Cargo and freight agents |
31,140 |
31,410 |
| Customer service representatives |
28,370 |
26,240 |
| Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks |
27,420 |
25,350 |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment |
24,110 |
17,060 |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand |
23,890 |
19,710 |
In 2002, about 45 percent of all workers in the air transportation industry were union members or were covered by union contracts,
compared with 15 percent of all workers throughout the economy.
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