According to U.S. Department of Labor statistics, U.S. passenger and cargo airlines now employ about 720,000 men and women, a 2.9 percent increase from last year. This is the highest level of employment in the U.S. airline industry since 2000. In addition, the average annual wage for U.S. airline employees surpassed $89,000 in 2017, roughly 46 percent higher than the private sector average.
Through the first nine months of 2018, U.S. passenger airlines spent $37 billion on wages and benefits, an increase of $2.1 billion—or 5.9 percent—compared with the same period in 2017.
“Airlines connect the world like no other industry can, and they are putting America to work,” said Rebecca Spicer, senior vice president of communications at Airlines for America. “Airlines recently reported the 58th consecutive month of employment gains — and these are well‑paying jobs with good benefits.”
“The workforce is the airline industry’s greatest asset. That’s why both passenger and cargo carriers are making significant investments in their employees,” she added.