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Attendant (automotive and watercraft service): pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 28, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$35,670median pay per year, or $17.15 an hour, May 2025[2]
  1. $28,630lowest 10% earn less
  2. $31,30025th percentile
  3. $35,670median
  4. $39,32075th percentile
  5. $46,060top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[5]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[6]

Automotive and watercraft service attendants, the official BLS category whose workers report titles such as gas attendant and fuel dock attendant[1], had median pay of $35,670 a year in May 2025[2]. Employment is projected to grow a little faster than the average for all occupations[3][4].

Job growth, 2025–35
+3.8%[3]
Openings per year
12,900[7]
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential[8]

How much do attendants make?

The median wage for automotive and watercraft service attendants was $35,670 a year, or $17.15 an hour[2]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. The average wage was a bit higher, at $36,780 a year or $17.68 an hour[9].

The median for all occupations in the US was $50,980[6], so this job pays below the typical worker.

Here is how pay spread out across the job in May 2025[5][10]:

Percentile Annual wage Hourly wage
10th[5][10] $28,630 $13.76
25th[5][10] $31,300 $15.05
75th[5][10] $39,320 $18.90
90th[5][10] $46,060 $22.14

A percentile is a boundary. The lowest-paid 10% of workers earned less than $28,630[5], and BLS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary[11]. These figures cover full-time and part-time wage and salary workers. They leave out the self-employed, bonuses that are not tied to production, and the cost of benefits[12]. About 102,010 people held these jobs[13].

Pay by state and city

Hawaii had the highest state median at $43,630, followed by California at $41,770 and the District of Columbia at $41,750[14]. West Virginia was last on the list at $28,260[14].

The most jobs were in New Jersey (11,050), California (10,190) and Texas (6,880)[15].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs[16], Urban Honolulu had the highest median at $50,360[16]. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont came next at $45,760, then San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara at $45,020[16]. The New York-Newark-Jersey City area had the most jobs, at 9,370[17].

Show median pay in 50 states and DC
StateMedian per yearJobs
Hawaii[14]$43,630270
California$41,77010,190
District of Columbia$41,750n/a
Rhode Island$41,690120
Connecticut$41,600420
Alaska$41,590280
New Hampshire$40,030200
Washington$39,4402,620
Montana$38,700460
Vermont$38,700170
Colorado$38,3702,980
Missouri$38,1301,150
Maryland$37,5801,060
Nevada$37,550250
Minnesota$37,4701,230
New York$37,1803,770
Utah$37,000890
North Dakota$36,740500
Wyoming$36,640280
Wisconsin$36,5502,770
Delaware$36,530370
South Dakota$36,050650
Illinois$36,0101,940
South Carolina$36,000220
Arizona$35,8401,710
Indiana$35,7003,090
Massachusetts$35,6801,850
Idaho$35,560480
Kansas$35,4401,500
New Jersey$35,35011,050
Ohio$34,9902,930
Nebraska$34,940910
Florida$34,8605,150
Arkansas$34,750870
Oregon$34,2806,270
North Carolina$33,6802,790
Texas$33,6706,880
Maine$32,310680
Tennessee$31,9702,840
Oklahoma$31,7601,270
Pennsylvania$31,5501,580
Kentucky$31,4101,220
Michigan$31,2803,390
Georgia$30,9504,210
New Mexico$30,880n/a
Iowa$30,810340
Mississippi$30,810350
Virginia$30,3504,060
Alabama$29,1802,150
Louisiana$29,1501,150
West Virginia$28,260200

How to become an attendant

BLS lists the typical path into this job as follows[8]:

In an O*NET survey of 30 workers[18], 59% said a high school diploma or equivalent was required. Another 23% named a post-secondary certificate, and 16% said less than a high school diploma[18]. This is a small survey, so treat it as a rough picture only.

O*NET places the job in a group where some jobs need little or no experience and others need several months to a year[19]. The facts here do not name any license or exam.

What attendants do

Attendants service cars, buses, trucks, boats and similar vehicles with fuel, lubricants and accessories. They also take payment for services and supplies[20]. Common tasks reported to O*NET include[21]:

Workers report titles such as gas attendant, fuel attendant and dock hand[1].

Job outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 3.8% from 2025 to 2035, from about 102,400 to 106,300 jobs[3]. Employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% over the same period[4]. The job counts in the projection include self-employed workers[3].

BLS also expects about 12,900 openings a year on average[7]. Openings include jobs created when people retire or switch occupations, not only new jobs[7]. Each year, 4.4% of workers leave the labor force and 7.6% move to a different occupation[22].

Is it a good fit?

The facts show a job with a low barrier to entry. No formal credential or related experience is needed, and training is short[8]. Pay is below the all-occupations median[2][6], and growth is close to the average[3][4]. O*NET lists Automotive Service Technicians as a related job with a median of $50,620, and BLS lists its typical entry education as a postsecondary nondegree award[23]. Whether that step suits you depends on your goals, and these facts do not cover cost or time.

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[23].

Frequently asked questions

How much does an attendant make an hour?
The median was $17.15 an hour in May 2025, and the average was $17.68[2][9].
What education do you need to be an automotive and watercraft service attendant?
BLS lists no formal educational credential for entry, with short-term on-the-job training[8].
Is the attendant job in demand?
Employment is projected to grow 3.8% from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations[3][4]. About 12,900 openings a year are expected[7].
What is the highest paying state for attendants?
Hawaii had the highest median at $43,630 in May 2025[14].

Facts and sources

  1. O*NET 53-6031.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Attendant, Dock Attendant, Dock Hand, Fuel Attendant, Fuel Dock Attendant, Gas Attendant, Gas Pumper, Marine Fuel Dock Attendant. O*NET OnLine
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants in the US was $35,670 per year and $17.15 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants is projected to grow 3.8% from 2025 to 2035, from about 102,400 to 106,300 jobs (a change of +3,900). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  4. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants: 10th percentile $28,630, 25th percentile $31,300, 75th percentile $39,320, 90th percentile $46,060. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  7. BLS Employment Projections: about 12,900 openings for Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  8. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants: education needed for entry: No formal educational credential; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants was $36,780 per year and $17.68 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants: 10th percentile $13.76, 25th percentile $15.05, 75th percentile $18.90, 90th percentile $22.14. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 102,010 people were employed as Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. Median annual wage for Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants jobs: New Jersey 11,050; California 10,190; Texas 6,880; Oregon 6,270; Florida 5,150. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants (areas with at least 100 jobs): Urban Honolulu, HI $50,360; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $45,760; San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $45,020; Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA $44,140; Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $43,300; Salinas, CA $42,090; Anchorage, AK $41,590; San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $40,510. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  17. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants jobs: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 9,370 (median $36,440); Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 2,870 (median $36,420); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,830 (median $39,070); Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 2,770 (median $31,040); Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 2,490 (median $34,880); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,890 (median $34,800). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  18. O*NET 53-6031.00 survey of workers (30 respondents), education level they say is required: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) 59%, Post-Secondary Certificate 23%, Less than a High School Diploma 16% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  19. O*NET 53-6031.00: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. O*NET OnLine
  20. O*NET description of Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants. O*NET OnLine
  21. O*NET task list for Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants. O*NET OnLine
  22. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants: 4.4% of workers leave the labor force each year and 7.6% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  23. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.