Industry Insights

U.S. Airlines Employ 1 Million People

August 13, 2024

The industry that connects the world continues to provide good, well-paying jobs in a variety of positions even as other sectors scale back.

Most recent data from the Department of Transportation (DOT) shows that leading U.S. passenger and cargo airlines employ more than one million people worldwide, with U.S. passenger airlines alone employing their largest workforce in nearly 23 years.

These workers continue to earn the highest wages and receive the most generous benefits in the history of our industry. In 2022, air transportation employees earned wages 39% higher than the average private sector employee with more benefits, including medical, flight and retirement benefits, as well as job flexibility. 

“These one million men and women are the backbone of our industry, which is why A4A member airlines continue to invest significantly in current and future employees to ensure that we have people trained and in the right places at the right time in order to accommodate the demand for air travel and shipping,” Rebecca Spicer, A4A’s SVP of Communications said. “We are grateful for our employees’ dedication to getting millions of travelers to their destinations safely and tons of cargo delivered every single day across the country and around the world.”

To learn more about jobs in aviation, click here.