I’ve seen a bunch of comments claiming that Filipino flight attendants only earn minimum wage. That’s just not true, and I can say for sure they earn more than just a basic monthly salary. A lot of cabin crew in the Philippines actually live quite comfortably, though that also depends on how they manage their money. I can’t give you exact numbers for any specific airline, but let’s talk about what makes up a flight attendant’s monthly income.
What Makes Up a Flight Attendant’s Salary?
In the Philippines, a flight attendant’s monthly income has four main parts: basic pay, allowances, productivity pay, and for those with layovers, there’s also a per diem, or layover pay. All of these get paid out every month. The calculation of productivity pay is hourly. And yeah, there are also benefits and, well, taxes. Some airlines even give you extra pay if you work longer than your scheduled shift. If you’re flying internationally, your per diem is usually in US dollars.
Just to give you an idea, let’s break down how much a flight attendant in the Philippines might earn in a month. Remember, these numbers are just for illustration and don’t reflect any specific airline.
Let’s start with a basic monthly salary of PHP 25,000. Add in allowances, which airlines usually provide, and let’s say that’s another PHP 10,000. Next, we’ve got productivity pay, which is based on flying hours. This can range from PHP 150 to PHP 600 per hour, depending on the airline and how long you’ve been there. For this example, we’ll use PHP 400 per hour. And if the flight attendant has layovers, they get a per diem in US dollars.
So, if this flight attendant flies 90 hours in a month, the math would look like this: PHP 25,000 in basic pay plus PHP 10,000 in allowance plus productivity pay (PHP 400 x 90 hours), which all equals PHP 71,000. Now, let’s say they also had 5 days of international layovers and got US$50 per day. That’s an extra US$250, or about PHP 14,151 with today’s exchange rate. Add that to the PHP 71,000.00, and you’re looking at PHP 85,151.00 for the month before taxes get taken out.
Just a heads-up: the numbers I used are purely hypothetical and don’t reflect the pay scale of any particular airline in the Philippines. Actual salaries can vary based on factors like which airline you’re with, how long you’ve been there, how many hours you fly, and whether you’re doing international routes.
Add Up the Benefits
On top of their monthly pay, flight attendants in the Philippines also get some cool perks. One biggie is free flights, although there are some rules around that. They also get the usual government benefits like SSS, PhilHealth, and PAGIBIG. Some airlines even throw in medical benefits.
I hope this gives you a better idea of what flight attendants in the Philippines might earn. But remember, no matter how much you make, it’s how you manage your money that counts. You could be pulling in more than PHP 100,000 a month, but if you’re not smart with your spending, you could still find yourself in a money crunch.
First love never dies. I fell in love with airplanes and aviation when I was a kid. My dream was to become a pilot, but destiny led me to another path: to be an aviation digital media content creator and a small business owner. My passion for aviation inspires me to bring you quality content through my website and social accounts. Aviation is indeed in my blood and blog!
