Pursers and Flight Attendants

(NOC 6522)

in All Sales and Service

Airline pursers and flight attendants ensure the safety and comfort of passengers and crew members during flights. Airline pursers and flight attendants work for airline companies. Ship pursers attend to the safety and comfort of passengers aboard ships. Ship pursers work for tour boat or cruise ship companies.

Job Outlook

Undetermined

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  • Estimate change in employment not available for this occupation.
  • Estimate 0 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate rate of unemployment not available for this occupation.

Compared to: All Sales and Service

  • Estimate 10325 employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 17495 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate rate of unemployment not available for these occupation.

Hourly Pay

$14.50

Minimum

$21.90

Median

$26.00

Maximum

Annual Pay

$14,485

Minimum

$51,395

Median

$71,525

Maximum

Compared to: All Sales and Service

Hourly Pay

$12.95

Minimum

$15.00

Median

$25.60

Maximum

Annual Pay

$2,949

Minimum

$16,629

Median

$45,086

Maximum

About the job

Nature of work

Airline pursers and flight attendants ensure the safety and comfort of passengers and crew members during flights. Airline pursers and flight attendants work for airline companies. Ship pursers attend to the safety and comfort of passengers aboard ships. Ship pursers work for tour boat or cruise ship companies.

Job duties

Flight attendants:

  • Greet passengers, explain and demonstrate safety procedures, check the general condition of the aircraft cabin, ensure that all necessary supplies are on board.
  • Attend to safety of passengers during take-offs, landings, and emergencies.
  • Serve food and beverages to passengers and make flight announcements.

Flight pursers, customer service directors and passenger service directors:

  • Coordinate the activities of flight attendants, provide service to passengers during flight and complete reports.

Ship pursers:

  • Supervise ship attendants and arrange activities for passengers.
  • Conduct ship's business like signing on crew, maintaining payroll records, assisting passengers in preparing customs declarations, and supervising baggage storage.

Sample job titles

  • airline purser
  • flight attendant
  • flight purser
  • in-flight service manager
  • purser - water transport
  • ship supply officer

Skills

  • You should be poised, organized, tactful, and patient. You must be able to work long hours in confined spaces and be able to cope with turbulence and other conditions. Interpersonal skills and the ability to deal comfortably with strangers are important. You should be resourceful and able to handle the unexpected. This work may require being away from home for extended periods of time. Knowledge of the travel business or the specific areas of tourism in which you work will be required. Good communication skills are essential. Knowledge of both official languages and an additional language may be required.

Job requirements

  • Flight attendants and flight pursers require the completion of high school and a training program approved by Transport Canada.

Other considerations

  • General economic conditions will have an effect on the level of business and pleasure travel undertaken by Nova Scotians. Therefore, employment levels will vary from year to year in many of these jobs. Flight pursers/customer service directors require experience as a flight attendant. Ship pursers may require experience as a ship attendant. Flight attendants and ship pursers usually require experience working with the public. There is little mobility between airline pursers and ship pursers. It is an advantage for pursers and flight attendants to speak more than one language.

By the numbers

Quick look

355

employed in 2016

83.1%

employed full-time

0.0%

self employed

63.4%
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36.6%
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47.2

median age

Compared to: All Sales and Service

102,605

employed in 2016

56.4%

employed full-time

5.8%

self employed

60.1%
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39.9%
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37

median age

Where will I likely work?

60.6%

Halifax

$53,118 median annual income
19.7%

Cape Breton

$53,273 median annual income
9.9%

Annapolis Valley

$38,500 median annual income
7.0%

North Shore

N/A
2.8%

Southern

N/A

Compared to: All NS Occupations

47.0%

Halifax

15.6%

North Shore

12.9%

Annapolis Valley

12.7%

Cape Breton

11.8%

Southern

Top Industries of Employment

100.0%

Transportation and warehousing

What is the age of Employment?

31.0%

45-54

24.0%

55-64

20.0%

35-44

19.0%

25-34

6.0%

15-24

Compared to: All Sales and Service

30.0%

15-24

17.2%

45-54

17.2%

25-34

16.1%

55-64

13.8%

35-44

Top levels of education

35.7%

High school

$43,676 median annual income
32.9%

College Diploma

$36,473 median annual income
17.1%

Bachelor

$57,856 median annual income
8.6%

Trade Certification

$44,734 median annual income
5.7%

Diploma Below Bachelor

N/A

Compared to: All Sales and Service

39.8%

High school

$15,705 median annual income
19.7%

Less than high school

$9,866 median annual income
19.5%

College Diploma

$20,644 median annual income
9.9%

Bachelor

$21,262 median annual income
8.0%

Trade Certification

$21,234 median annual income

Education & training

Airline Flight Attendant

College or Trades Program

These programs prepare students to apply technical knowledge and skills to the performance of a variety of personal services conducive to the safety and comfort of airline passengers during flight, including verifying tickets, explaining the use of safety equipment, providing passenger services, and responding to in-flight emergencies.

Institutions providing this program

Atlantic Flight Attendant Academy

Halifax, NS

French as an Additional Language (Canada)

College, Trades, or University Program

These programs focus on the development of proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking French for those for whom French is not their mother tongue. They include courses in the use of basic communication skills to develop and transmit ideas and thoughts in French as well as specialized programs that focus on the development of proficiency in French sufficient to meet specific occupational or academic demands.

Institutions providing this program

Acadia University

Wolfville, NS

Mount Saint Vincent University

Halifax, NS

Employment requirements & contacts

No regulating bodies were found under this occupation profile

Contacts

Nova Scotia Tourism Talent
Halifax, NS
Nova Scotia Tourism Human Resource Sector Council
Halifax, NS

Additional resources