How To Become A Gate Agent: What It Is and Career Path

What is a gate agent and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a gate agent. For example, did you know that they make an average of $17.24 an hour? That's $35,855 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 0% and produce -5,200 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreGate AgentUS Average

Salary

2.8

Avg. Salary $35,855

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

9.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.43%

Asian 6.51%

Black or African American 8.78%

Hispanic or Latino 20.02%

Unknown 6.48%

White 56.78%

Gender

female 68.77%

male 31.23%

Age - 45

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45

Stress Level

8.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

4.8

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

7.3

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Newest jobs for Gate Agent in Columbus, OH

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Key steps to become a gate agent

Explore gate agent education requirements

Most common gate agent degrees

Bachelor's

36.9 %

High School Diploma

22.9 %

Associate

22.2 %

Start to develop specific gate agent skills

Skills	Percentages
Reservations	30.10%
Passenger Manifest	18.99%
Airline Tickets	6.81%
FAA	5.03%
Customer Issues	3.74%

Complete relevant gate agent training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New gate agents learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a gate agent based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real gate agent resumes.

Research gate agent duties and responsibilities

Manage ticket inventory and assist with passenger check-in procedures, baggage loading and unloading.
Alter customer itineraries and seat assignments as necessary to meet FAA mandates and requirements.
Brief passengers according to company and FAA requirements, ensure the completion of all require aircraft forms.
Uphold all TSA safety regulations.

Prepare your gate agent resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your gate agent resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a gate agent resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Gate Agent Resume templates

Build a professional Gate Agent resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Gate Agent resume.

Apply for gate agent jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a gate agent job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do gate agents rate their job?

-/5

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1 Star

Gate Agent reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2023

Pros

The pros of course are that the airline industry is exciting and amazing, industry. Witch from the outside looks so exciting but when you get there, you realize that flight benefits sound amazing but when you’re paid at a rate of minimum wage and most sentences are a slightly higher may be up to $60.50 an hour for new hires. You can’t fly anywhere so don’t be don’t be fooled by the recruiters he will not be traveling are you off that you can’t afford the hotels what you get to your destination low.

A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020

Pros

I like the fact that the environment is fast paced. I like working the gate area. I like boarding the passengers and I like interacting with the pilots and flight attendants.

Cons

I dislike the rude passengers.

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020