steward/stewardess
Snapshot
Enjoy a dynamic career providing exceptional service while traveling the world? As a steward/stewardess, you'll be the face of hospitality on planes, trains, and ships, ensuring passenger comfort and satisfaction.
Steward/stewardesses are vital members of travel service teams, responsible for delivering high-quality food and beverage service and creating a positive experience for passengers. This role requires excellent customer service skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment. You'll interact with diverse passengers, addressing their needs and ensuring their journey is pleasant and memorable.
- • Preparing and serving food and beverages according to established standards.
- • Maintaining cleanliness and order within the passenger area.
- • Providing assistance and addressing passenger inquiries and concerns.
Where this occupation is in demand
Reported labour shortages and surpluses, by year. Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
Deeper colour: reported the same way in more consecutive years.
Figures cover Personal service workers — 86 jobs including this one.
In shortage: Czechia, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg.
Longest-running shortage: Hungary, 2 years.
Select a place on the map to see its figures.
About this source›
Source: ELA/EURES labour shortages and surpluses. Readings are published at occupation-group level, and cover Europe. Editions differ in annex layout and country coverage, so a change between years does not always mean the labour market changed. Countries in grey were not reported, which is not the same as being in balance.
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Future Outlook for steward/stewardess
The outlook for steward/stewardess is exceptionally stable. While AI tools will assist with daily tasks, the core of this role relies on human judgment, resulting in a high resilience score of 80%.
How are these scores calculated?
The Resilience Score (0–100) estimates how structurally protected this occupation is from automation and AI disruption, based on task-level analysis. Higher scores mean more human-judgment-intensive tasks. AI Exposure shows the estimated percentage of task hours that current AI capabilities could affect. These are model-derived structural indicators, not predictions about individual job security.
How could steward/stewardess change as AI adoption grows?
Human judgement, trust, and context remain strong protectors for this role.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
How could steward/stewardess change as AI adoption grows?
Human judgement, trust, and context remain strong protectors for this role.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
How AI may change this role
Deterministic, model-based interpretation of current role signals — not a guarantee of replacement.
What still depends on people
- comply with food safety and hygiene
- greet guests
- serve food in table service
Where AI may become a co-pilot
Limited AI co-pilot overlap right now.
Tasks most exposed to automation
No single task here is highly automatable yet.
Vital Signs & AI Vectors
AI Exposure Vectors
0-100%Exposure to content generation, creative augmentation, and large language model tools
Exposure to AI-assisted analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive modelling tasks
Exposure to physical automation, robotics, and sensor-driven task displacement
Exposure to workflow automation, decision-support software, and process digitisation
Technical Details
NexFuture v3.0 estimates automation exposure natively from ESCO essential-skill groups, weighted by skill mass and calibrated against expert anchors. Scores are probabilistic estimates, not guarantees. See the NexFuture Methodology White Paper for full details.
Measures automation exposure. It does not measure pay, demand, or how many jobs exist near you.
What people in this role usually do
Hospitality, Events, & Tourism
A typical day as a steward/stewardess
09 09:00 · Morning assist passengers
10 10:30 · Mid-morning handle financial transactions
12 12:00 · Midday serve food in table service
14 14:00 · Afternoon comply with food safety and hygiene
15 15:30 · Late afternoon greet guests
17 17:00 · Wrap-up handle customer complaints
Task order is illustrative. Individual days vary.
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air transport law
The rules and regulations governing air transport, including international law.
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airport planning
The principles and procedures that govern the development of airports in order to meet the demand for aviation services and comply with the applicable regulations.
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common aviation safety regulations
The body of legislation and regulations that apply to the field of civil aviation at regional, national, European and International levels.
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physical parts of the vessel
The different physical components of the vessel and their maintenance and care effort.
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vessel safety equipment
Safety equipment used in vessels, including devices such as lifeboats, life rings, splash doors and fire doors, sprinkler systems, etc, and how these must be operated during emergency situations.
- health and safety measures in transportation
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greet guests
Welcome guests in a friendly manner in a certain place.
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assist passengers
Provide help to people getting in and out of their car or any other transportation vehicle, by opening doors, provide physical support or hold belongings. Keep safety measures and procedures in mind.
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comply with food safety and hygiene
Respect optimal food safety and hygiene during preparation, manufacturing, processing, storage, distribution and delivery of food products.
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handle customer complaints
Administer complaints and negative feedback from customers in order to address concerns and where applicable provide a quick service recovery.
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serve food in table service
Provide food at the table whilst maintaining high level of customer service and food safety standards.
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maintain customer service
Keep the highest possible customer service and make sure that the customer service is at all times performed in a professional way. Help customers or participants feel at ease and support special requirements.
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handle financial transactions
Administer currencies, financial exchange activities, deposits as well as company and voucher payments. Prepare and manage guest accounts and take payments by cash, credit card and debit card.
Skill DNA
Work personality traits and values that define this role
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Where does steward/stewardess fit?
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Similarity scores based on skill overlap from ESCO data.
Frequently asked questions
- What kind of training do steward/stewardesses receive?
- Training typically includes comprehensive instruction on safety procedures, food and beverage service protocols, customer service techniques, and emergency response. Specific training programs vary depending on the employer (airline, cruise line, train company).
- Are there specific physical requirements for this role?
- Yes, the role can be physically demanding. You may need to stand for extended periods, lift trays of food and beverages, and assist passengers with mobility needs. Employers often have specific height and weight requirements.
- What are the typical working hours like for a steward/stewardess?
- Working hours are often irregular and can include evenings, weekends, and holidays. Schedules are frequently determined by travel routes and passenger demand, requiring flexibility and adaptability.
- Steward/Stewardess — is there a shortage in Europe?
- No. In the 2025 ELA/EURES edition, a surplus was reported in 5 of the 9 European countries that assessed this occupation group: Austria, Bulgaria, Finland, France and 1 more. 4 countries reported a shortage. These assessments are published per occupation group rather than per job title.
- Steward/Stewardess — what does it pay in the United States?
- $67,130 a year at the median, as of 2025-05. State medians run from $39,520 to $126,650. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is a United States figure and not a projection for Europe.