U.S. Airlines Reach Highest Workforce Levels In Two Decades

New data from the Department of Transportation (DOT) reveals that U.S. passenger and cargo airlines now employ more than 1 million people, marking it the largest workforce in nearly 23 years.

Airlines for America (A4A), the organization representing U.S. passenger and cargo airlines, shared the news in an Aug. 13 press release noting that the milestone “highlights the ongoing commitment of the U.S. airline industry to provide well-paying jobs across the industry.” In June, U.S. carriers added more than 200,000 jobs, according to data compiled by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

According to A4A, in 2022, air transportation workers earned the highest wages and most generous benefits offered in the industry’s history. Wages were 39% higher than those of the average private sector employee, while workers earned additional benefits such as medical coverage, flight perks, retirement plans and 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 to accommodate the demand for air travel and shipping,” said Rebecca Spicer, senior vice president of communications at A4A. “We are grateful for our employees’ dedication to getting millions of travelers to their destinations safely and delivering tons of cargo across the country and around the world every single day.”