How to become a cabin attendant or steward
Official title: Cabin attendant/steward
Also called: Air hostess (aircrew), Aircraft cabin attendant, Aircraft hostess, Aircraft steward, Cabin attendant, Cabin steward, Flight steward, Ship cabin's attendant, Ship cabin's steward, Ship's steward, Cabin Crew, Crew-in-Charge
Cabin attendant/steward provides personal services to ensure the security and comfort of passengers on aircraft and onboard ship. He/she greets passengers, verifies tickets, and directs passengers to assigned seats or cabins. He/she directs and assists passengers in emergency procedures, such as evacuating a plane or vessel in an emergency. He/she also announces and demonstrates safety and emergency procedures, such as the use of oxygen masks, seat belts, and life jackets. He/she prepares and serves in-flight meals and administers in-flight sales activities, if serving on aircraft.
Main tasks
- Greeting passengers entering aircraft or ship, checking tickets or boarding passes, and directing them to their seats or berths
- Announcing, explaining and demonstrating safety and emergency procedures, such as the use of oxygen masks, seat belts and life jackets
- Assembling and serving pre-prepared meals and beverages
- Selling duty-free and other goods
- Taking care of general needs and comfort of passengers, answering inquiries, and keeping cabins clean and tidy
- Directing and assisting passengers and following prescribed procedures in the event of an emergency, such as evacuating a plane following an emergency landing
- Verifying that first aid kits and other emergency equipment are in working order
- Administering first aid to passengers in distress
Ways in
- Apprenticeship: Work-study diploma. Related ITE work-study diplomas: Work-Study Diploma in Customer Experience Management (Cabin Services). You are employed by a company and study at ITE at the same time. Peernovo matched these from course names.
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Median pay: $44,760 a year. The middle half earn $34,836 to $56,724 a year.
- Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
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Questions people ask
How do I become a cabin attendant or steward?
Ways in include: Work-study diploma.
How much does a cabin attendant or steward earn in Singapore?
Median full-time pay is $44,760 a year (Ministry of Manpower (via data.gov.sg)). The middle half earn $34,836 to $56,724.
Will AI change the work of a cabin attendant or steward?
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Sources
- Ministry of Manpower (via data.gov.sg): Resident Occupational Wages (Occupational Wage Survey) (June 2024 (data.gov.sg update 2026-04-01)), Singapore Open Data Licence v1.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
- International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
Updated 4 October 2026