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Tier S / Theme Park/Airline Frontline

Southwest Airlines starting pay and pay schedule

By HireTea Updated 2026-06-29

Southwest Airlines pay — verified fact

Southwest pay guidance must split by role, workgroup, location, CBA, and posting. The Flight Attendant page lists current new-hire pay at $31.67 per trip after passing training, estimated first-year pay of $37,000 based on reserve and/or line minimums, and per diem of $3.04/hour domestic and $3.63/hour international. Current postings sampled on June 29, 2026 listed Customer Service Agent BZN at $20.65/hour, Ramp Agent OMA at $20.63/hour, Supervisor Customer Service RDU at $36.00-$37.50/hour, and MX Programs Consultant at $103,750-$115,300/year. Save the posting and CBA/workgroup context before treating any number as comparable.

Source: Southwest Flight Attendants and Workday current postings · Tier 1 · accessed 2026-06-29

Southwest Airlines benchmark snapshot for pay

HireTea scores this Theme Park/Airline Frontline profile as application friction 75; pay transparency 30; assessment clarity 30; source depth 50. For this topic, the main comparison signal is pay transparency at 30/100, which reads as thin.

  • Application path: applications start through Southwest Careers with official Workday apply pages for current postings; applicants may be asked to complete role-dependent interviews or assessments.
  • Source signal: 12 fact-sheet sources feed this benchmark, including Southwest Hiring Process, Southwest Flight Attendants, Southwest Customer Service Agents, Southwest Ramp Agents, Southwest Benefits.

Should you apply to Southwest Airlines? Decision map

Quick framework for Southwest Airlines pay — branches based on your situation.

❓ Ask recruiter if

  • What base pay range, bonus, equity, or commission applies to this Employee offer?

📋 Save evidence if

  • Background-check disclosures for Southwest Careers with official Workday apply pages for current postings (prior addresses, employment dates, contact info) — save these before applying.
  • Screenshot of the role-dependent interviews or assessments completion screen — proof you finished the screen.
  • Posted pay range and the date you saw it — the offer letter must match.

Southwest Airlines Employee pay floor check

Company-specific pay context

  • Source pay anchor: The Flight Attendant page lists current new-hire pay at $31.67 per trip after passing training, estimated first-year pay of $37,000 based on reserve and/or line minimums, and per diem of $3.04/hour domestic and $3.63/hour international.

Use these federal and state wage floors as a legal-floor check, not as a Southwest Airlines wage promise.

Jurisdiction Minimum wage Source
Federal floor $7.25/hr U.S. DOL
DC $17.95/hr U.S. DOL state table
WA $17.13/hr U.S. DOL state table
CT $16.94/hr U.S. DOL state table
CA $16.90/hr California DIR
NY $16.00-$17.00/hr New York State
NJ $15.92/hr U.S. DOL state table
OR $14.05-$16.30/hr U.S. DOL state table
FL $14.00/hr U.S. DOL state table

Company pay source: Southwest Flight Attendants and Workday current postings

Federal and state minimum wage data verified 2026-05-20. Refresh every 90 days.

Sources for this Southwest Airlines guide

Known limitations

  • Flight attendant application windows are limited; verify open requisitions before launch.

Tool option

Check whether your resume supports the Southwest Airlines pay band

After you compare Southwest Airlines pay, check whether your resume shows the experience, schedule fit, and role evidence that justify the posting you want. Teal's resume checker can compare your current version against the job description before you spend another application on the wrong fit.

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Last verified

Fact sheet last updated
2026-06-29
Pay source verified
2026-06-29