Pilot salary southwest airlines: Southwest Airlines Pilot Salary | Salary.com

• Ben Schlappig
• June 29, 2023

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In mid-May, Southwest Airlines pilots voted to authorize a strike, making this the fourth pilots union in the United States to do so in recent months. That’s only the first step to actually going on strike, though. The union has now taken the second step, which is more than we’ve seen at any US airline so far. Could Southwest pilots actually go on strike in the coming weeks?!

First let’s cover how pilots voted to authorize a strike, and then we’ll talk about the latest update, which is quite significant.

In this post:

Southwest pilots voted in favor of a strike

In early May, the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA), which represents Southwest Airlines’ 10,000+ pilots, opened voting for a strike authorization. With this, pilots could vote on whether or not they’d like to see a strike among pilots at the airline.

While the vote was supposed to run through the end of May, voting closed within a week, given the overwhelming participation. 98% of pilots cast votes, and 99% of those pilots voted in favor of authorizing a strike. This followed three years of “stagnant negotiations” for a new contract for pilots (in fairness, the first 18 months of that probably wasn’t a great time to negotiate).

Here’s how SWAPA President Casey Murray described this vote:

“This is a historic day, not only for our pilots, but for Southwest Airlines. The lack of leadership and the unwillingness to address the failures of our organization have led us to this point. Our pilots are tired of apologizing to our passengers on behalf of a company that refuses to place its priorities on its internal and external customers.”

“Today, our Pilots have empowered our Negotiating Committee Chair, Captain Jody Reven, to petition the National Mediation Board to release us to self-help imminently at which time we will follow the process set forth by the Railway Labor Act and continue toward a strike. We want our passengers to understand that we do not take this path lightly and are disheartened that the LUV airline has gotten so far away from the values set forth by Herb Kelleher. We want our customers to be prepared for the path ahead and make arrangements on other carriers so that their plans through the summer and fall are not disrupted. ”

As I explained at the time, just because pilots voted in favor of a strike authorization doesn’t mean they’ll actually go on strike.

Rather, Southwest management and the union representing pilots have to follow the procedures of the Railway Labor Act, which includes going to the National Mediation Board, in hopes of coming to a resolution. A strike would only (eventually) be permitted if that process fails. Even then it wouldn’t be immediate, as there would first be a 30-day cooling off period before a strike could occur.

Southwest Airlines pilots voted in favor of striking

I also can’t help but note how the union is going on quite the tirade against the company on Twitter and other social media platforms. SWAPA even has some thoughts on Southwest’s new brand film… hah.

Making movies is prob a good move for @SouthwestAir since movie tickets are typically a higher price than LUV stock…https://t. co/EiAlFNtxEi

— Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (@swapapilots) May 11, 2023

“Alone in Tombstone” is a lot like being on a @SouthwestAir flight….no power, no connectivity with the outside world, and a good chance the stagecoach gets canceled.https://t.co/CwjPDOjEdj

— Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (@swapapilots) May 11, 2023

Southwest pilots request release from National Mediation Board

Today, SWAPA has filed a request with the National Mediation Board, to officially be released from mediation. Essentially that means that negotiations aren’t going anywhere, and pilots want to strike. As the union describes it, union negotiators have become increasingly frustrated with Southwest’s lack of commitment to negotiating in earnest and the pace of productivity during this negotiation cycle.

Here’s how SWAPA President Casey Murray describes this move:

“If released from mediation, our Pilot group will continue down the path afforded to us through the Railway Labor Act (RLA). It is an unfortunate situation that we find ourselves in today, however, our pilots have waited long enough for a contract. We can no longer sit by as our fellow aviators are rewarded with industry leading contracts and watch as we bleed qualified new hires to our competitors. We love our airline, and we are willing to do what it takes to get Southwest back to the airline it once was.” 

The union is stating that it hopes that this will cause Southwest’s negotiators to make a stronger commitment and more meaningful preparations for negotiations. However, otherwise the union wants to prepare for a strike, which could happen after this is approved, and there’s a 30-day cooling off period.

The reality is that strikes don’t happen often at airlines in the United States, and we haven’t seen one in over a decade. But hey, there’s always a first, so we’ll see if anything happens here.

Southwest pilots are one step closer to striking

What contract are Southwest pilots looking for?

I’ve written in the past about how much airline pilots are paid. For context, you can find Southwest’s current pilot pay scale here. First officers earn anywhere from $84 to $191 per hour, while captains earn anywhere from $241 to $274 per hour. You can add three zeroes to the end of the hourly pay scale to figure out roughly how much airline pilots earn annually.

Delta pilots recently negotiated an industry-leading contract, which will set the benchmark for the industry. As of January 1, 2024, Delta Boeing 737 first officers will be paid anywhere from $113 to $240 per hour, while captains will be paid anywhere from $323 to $352 per hour.

But I imagine that Southwest pilots will want even more than that. Why? Because Delta pilots have the ability to fly larger aircraft (with higher pay scales), while Southwest only flies the 737, so the pay scale should account for the lack of larger aircraft. For example, Delta Airbus A350 first officers will be paid anywhere from $114 to $300 per hour, while captains will be paid anywhere from $402 to $438 per hour.

At some point you have to wonder how sustainable all of these pay scales are. This will disproportionately negatively impact long haul and ultra long haul flights, which require three to four pilots. Paying four pilots these kinds of amounts on a 15 hour flight could materially alter the economics of some flights. Obviously that doesn’t apply to Southwest, though.

Delta’s contract is being used as the basis for negotiations

Bottom line

In May, Southwest Airlines pilots overwhelmingly voted in favor of a strike authorization. 98% of pilots cast votes, and 99% of those pilots voted in favor of a strike. Unfortunately it looks like not much progress has been made since that vote, so the union is now preparing to take the next step.

The union has filed a request with the National Mediation Board (NMB) to be officially released from mediation. If that were to happen, pilots could eventually go on strike. Like I said, this hasn’t happened in a very long time in the United States, so it’s anyone’s guess if that’s what this comes down to.

Do you think we could see Southwest pilots go on strike?

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In flight. In the Russian Federation they cannot provide jobs for pilots and do not want to let them go abroad, – mass media

According to journalists, officials fear that the outflow of civilian pilots will not allow them to fulfill Putin’s order to maintain traffic volumes. At the same time, many pilots simply have nothing to fly.

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After the introduction of international sanctions in Russia, hundreds of civilian pilots were left without income or experienced a significant reduction in wages, writes Kommersant. At the same time, they cannot get a job abroad, although since the beginning of March, about 600 requests have been received from Southeast Asia and Turkey for Russian pilots.

Why don’t they want to release Russian pilots?

Officials of the Ministry of Transport who do not want to let pilots out of the country, fearing not to fulfill President Putin’s order to keep the volume of traffic at 100 million passengers by the end of the year, are called the reason for this situation.

Sources told the publication that it is difficult for pilots to revalidate their licenses at the request of foreign aviation authorities and carriers to work abroad.

In the aviation industry, pilot salaries have fallen by an average of 40%

The state regulator Rosaviatsia does not provide data on the date of issue of the pilot’s license and its relevance. Officials sometimes explain this by “the inability to disclose personal data,” but more often than not, they simply leave requests unanswered.

Fear of a shortage of personnel

Russia has adopted a program for the development of the aviation industry until 2030, Kommersant notes. It pays much attention to the risks of staff shortages. Every month, the Ministry of Transport received about 70 requests from foreign aviation authorities with a request to confirm the certificates of Russian pilots. Therefore, the ministry fears that in the future Russia will lack pilots, especially since more than a third of the 15 thousand Russian commercial pilots are people of pre-retirement age.

At the same time, in practice, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, thousands of specialists were actually left without work. Airlines are sending them to idle after a sharp decline in traffic, as many foreign destinations have closed. According to Oksana Vlasenko, chairman of the Interregional Union of Pilots, before the invasion, Russian planes flew to 60 countries, now they fly to only 11.

This also affected passenger traffic. According to Kommersant, in March it fell by more than 20% yoy, in April by almost a third, and in May by more than a quarter. In June, according to a source in the Ministry of Transport, “the situation has stabilized” – the reduction was 20%.

Miroslav Boichuk, President of the Airmen’s Trade Union of Russia, claims that, on average, pilots’ incomes in the industry have decreased by 40%. This was especially true for the crews of long-haul aircraft.

Recall that in early June it became known that the Russian “Aeroflot” stopped the recruitment of pilots. The Russian Air Transport Professional Qualifications Council has calculated that 1,500 line pilots and 1,300 flight attendants are currently out of work.

At the end of March, due to Western sanctions, Aeroflot’s quotes on the Moscow Exchange fell by more than 20%. Since March 8, the company has been forced to cancel all international flights.

The head of Aeroflot, Mikhail Poluboyarinov, and the general director of the Pobeda air group, Andrei Kalmykov, have resigned. Andrey Panov, deputy general director of Aeroflot, resigned – he left Russia and admitted that his “old life is over.”

How much does an airplane pilot earn in the USA

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Describe your problem

The average annual salary for a commercial airline pilot is from $130,059,. Salaries range from a minimum of $,112,657 to a maximum of $,146,834 . The bottom 10 percent won $98,813 while the top 10 percent won $62,106 . Union agreements, airline type, aircraft size, and assigned routes are key drivers of pilot pay differentials.

If you are interested in aviation career , stay to learn more about aircraft pilot salary .

In addition to the pilot’s hourly wage, he often receives a stipend to pay during his training period, as well as a daily rate when he is away from home. This allowance covers food and other unexpected expenses that pilots may incur. And airlines often pay for lodging when a pilot has to spend the night away from home.

Years of experience

Once certified to fly large scheduled airline aircraft, a pilot’s salary increases over time. The forecast shows this trend:

• 1-2 years: 116,553-126,942 USD
• 3-4 years: 118,631-12 8,760 USD
• 5-6 years: $120,968-$130,560
• 7-9 years old: $124,345-133814
• 10-14 years old: 128 241-137 570 USD
• 15-19 years: 130 059-139 573 USD
• 20 years and over: 130 059-139 573 USD

Employment growth trend

Expected job growth for airline pilots is lower than the average for other industries. In the period from 2016 to 2026, only about 2,900 jobs will be created in this profession, i.e. the growth rate will be 3 percent. Many of these jobs will be the result of mandatory pilot retirement. Competition for jobs at regional airlines will be less intense than for jobs at major airlines.

Aircraft wages

Pilots’ wages depend on the type of aircraft they fly and how long they have been with the airline. The average annual salary for a large aircraft pilot is $121,408. The average annual salary for a small aircraft is $104,219.

Aircraft pilot earnings in the USA . Non-jet pilots earn significantly less. The pilot of a large non-jet aircraft receives an average annual salary of only 79106 dollars. The average annual salary for a small non-aircraft person is $85,418. Pilots undergo different training for each type of aircraft in which they are certified to fly, so it is worth considering these facts before starting training.

Job Description

The pilot’s tasks begin long before he enters the cockpit. Before a scheduled flight, he performs several important checks. Check the weather along the route, the condition of the aircraft, the total amount of fuel required for the trip, as well as the weight and distribution of passengers and cargo on the aircraft.

It also presents the flight plan before the aircraft leaves the landing zone. During the flight, it monitors the aircraft’s instruments, radio communications, and uses the incoming data to evaluate and detect problems that could affect the flight. Supervises all maintenance personnel in the aircraft cabin and in the aircraft cabin. Finally, the pilot contacts the air traffic controller to receive and follow instructions for a safe landing on the assigned runway.

Education requirements

Airline pilots need a bachelor’s degree, but not in aviation. You must complete flight school or the military and obtain a private pilot’s license before you can obtain a commercial pilot’s license. Once you have flown 1,500 hours in a specific aircraft and under certain conditions, you can apply for a carrier pilot certification. In addition to preparing for college, you will spend several years preparing for the FAA exams to gain experience that earns you a commercial airline pilot salary.

Industry

In 2016, 88 percent of pilots worked for commercial airlines. The next largest employer was the federal government, which accounted for just 4 percent of pilots. Frequent travel and duty are the main causes of fatigue or burnout in the industry. Airline pilots only fly about 75 hours a month due to federal regulations. They could accumulate another 150 hours by performing their other duties. Federal law also requires certain rest periods for pilots and retirement at age 65.

How wages are growing

How much does a commercial pilot earn? . Each airline has its own payment program, but almost all of them have an increase in the offer standard every year. Through this ongoing increase, Commercial Airline Pilots and Airline Pilots can expect to earn an average annual salary of around $117,290 and up. . Pilots experience higher salary increase in their first five years . These promotions are usually higher for senior officers than for captains, and the largest pay increases often come after a year’s probation. Almost all first officers become captains after a few years of experience.

Traditional carriers, the largest and oldest carriers in the US, have some of the highest pay rates for pilots. For example, the first officer on a Boeing 757 at Delta Air Lines costs from $70 an hour in the first year, and the salary in the second year is much higher. In 10 years, the first Delta officer will be earning $151 an hour. With a minimum 65-hour warranty, a Boeing 757 first officer starts earning at least $55,000 a year and by year 10 will be earning over $120,000 a year, not counting travel expenses.

In comparison, a Delta captain on the same plane starts at $206 an hour in the first year and earns $222 an hour in the tenth year. This is approximately $160,000 in the first year and $173,000 in year 10, not including per diem.

At major airline Southwest Airlines, first officers start at an hourly rate of $57 for the first year. By the fifth year, that amount had more than doubled to $130 an hour. In year 10, the first officer’s hourly rate at Southwest is $148. In the first year, the captain of the Southwest earns 191 dollar per hour. By the fifth year, he is earning $200 an hour, and by the year, $10,212 an hour.

Regional airlines pay less and pilots fly smaller aircraft. Flying a regional airline is the most common way to gain the experience required by major airlines, making it a necessary step for most new pilots.

For example, on Island Air, the first officer earns $43 an hour in the first year and $58 an hour in the fifth year. Captains on the same airline earn $67 an hour in the first year and $9$7 an hour in the fifth year.

The good news is that with the current pilot shortage at full capacity, regional airlines are being forced to become more competitive when it comes to hiring pilots, with many of them offering paid training, travel expenses, login bonuses and engagement programs with your major partner airlines and the best benefits for pilots. Island Air is currently offering a $12,000 union bond, of which $5,000 covers relocation costs. Piedmont Airlines is offering a $15,000 membership bonus and, according to its website, a guaranteed job with American Airlines.

Promising pilots who continue this career have great potential for impressive salaries after less than ten years of service. Those who soar in the sky throughout their careers can earn a very comfortable salary after they retire.

Closing note

This post is not intended for those who want to become a pilot, but rather a general introduction to how the pilot salary works (some airlines have it hourly, others monthly) and what it is based (years with the airline, position as captain or first officer, etc.