Largest US LCC. B737-only operation with strong profit sharing.
Southwest Airlines, founded 1967, is the largest US LCC. Operating solely on B737 is its defining business model. Serving 107 US cities, it maintains top domestic passenger rankings.
No widebody aircraft means no long-haul international, but training/maintenance costs are minimized and profit-sharing directly benefits pilots. 2026 average captain salary exceeds $321,000 (~$302K).
* Figures are reference values based on public data and industry benchmarks. Verify actual compensation with each airline's official recruitment information.
| Position | Salary Range | Avg / Reference | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Captain B737 |
$260K–$447K |
$303K | Pre-tax |
| First Officer B737 (uniform) |
$104K–$254K |
$164K | Seniority-based |
💡 No widebody premium — seniority drives pay increases uniformly. Profit sharing (up to 15%) adds significant annual income. 2026 captain average $321,000 (~$302K) before profit share.
Modeled from the captain / first-officer ranges above, sliced into standard career stages. Bands marked est. are derived from those ranges (not official); verified bands come from active-pilot data. Management pay is crowd-sourced from verified pilots.
| Career Stage | Years | Annual (pre-tax) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cadet / Trainee | ≤2 yrs | $31K–$52K | est. |
| First Officer — Junior | 3–5 yrs | $104K–$172K | est. |
| First Officer — Mid | 6–10 yrs | $146K–$212K | est. |
| First Officer — Senior | 11–15 yrs | $186K–$254K | est. |
| Captain — New | 15–18 yrs | $260K–$345K | est. |
| Captain — Mid | 19–24 yrs | $313K–$395K | est. |
| Senior Captain | 25+ yrs | $363K–$447K | est. |
| Management / Instructor / Examiner | — | Data wanted | crowd-sourced |
107 US cities. Point-to-point model (no hub-and-spoke). Dallas (DAL), Chicago (MDW), Las Vegas (LAS), Denver (DEN) are main stations. High frequency, high utilization.
B737-700, B737-800, B737 MAX 7, B737 MAX 8
Only B737 operated — type training once, no aircraft changes ever. Maximally efficient.
State-of-the-art facility adjacent to Dallas HQ. Latest B737 simulators.
Seniority-based. No aircraft change needed. Typically 7–12 years to upgrade.
Short-haul, high-frequency flying builds high leg count and solid technical foundation.
Proficiency checks 1–2x per year.
Single type keeps retraining costs low — benefit for both company and pilots.
Up to 15% of company profits shared with all employees including pilots. Recent years: hundreds of thousands yen per pilot.
Company matching contributions. Key retirement vehicle.
Free tickets for self, family, and 2 designated companions. All Southwest routes.
Comprehensive family health insurance.
Income replacement for loss of license.
Domestic-only means no overseas stays. Popular for work-life balance.
Hiring status: Hiring
* US work authorization required. Slightly reduced hiring pace post-2025, but ongoing. Check official careers page.
| Airline | Captain (range) | First Officer | Income Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines 🇺🇸 | $260K–$447K | $104K–$254K | Income tax applies |
| ANA 🇯🇵 | $138K–$220K | $88K–$132K | ~33% (Japan) |
| JAL 🇯🇵 | $138K–$220K | $88K–$132K | ~33% (Japan) |
* Salary figures are SSOT reference values (pre-tax unless marked tax-free). ANA / JAL shown as the Japan baseline — ~33% income tax applies in Japan, so after-tax take-home is lower than the headline. Tax-free carriers pay 100% take-home. Verify exact figures with each airline.
Southwest Airlines captain pay averages about $303K per year (range $260K–$447K), pre-tax. Figures are reference values based on public data and industry benchmarks.
Southwest Airlines first officer pay averages about $164K per year (range $104K–$254K), pre-tax, rising with seniority — see the Career Ladder above for the year-by-year breakdown.
First Officer — B737 — Domestic (some short-haul international). Key requirements — License: ATP Certificate; Min. Hours: 1,500h; Work Auth.: US Green Card or citizenship required. US work authorization required. Slightly reduced hiring pace post-2025, but ongoing. Check official careers page.
Southwest Airlines captains average $303K, versus roughly $170K at ANA / JAL. Both figures are pre-tax; Japan applies ~33% income tax.
Dividing the annual average by 12, Southwest Airlines captains earn about $25K a month and first officers about $14K. What actually lands each month moves with block hours flown, and where an annual bonus is paid the regular monthly figure sits lower with a spike in the bonus month.
Southwest Airlines first officers average $164K and captains $303K — a step of about $139K, or roughly 1.8×. The full range runs $104K to $447K, and where you sit inside it is set by seniority, type rating and the routes you fly. The seniority table on this page breaks the same range into career stages.
Every figure on this page is gross, before income tax. Captains average $303K and first officers $164K pre-tax, and income tax, social insurance and any local levies come out of that. Take-home depends on where you are resident and on your own deductions, so no single percentage applies. Airlines based in countries with no personal income tax — the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia — leave more of the same gross figure in your hand.
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Pilot salary in the USA 11 airlines · captain avg $276K