Delta Air Lines vs Southwest Airlines
A side-by-side comparison of pilot careers at Delta Air Lines (DL) and Southwest Airlines (WN) — covering salary, fleet, requirements, and more.
Airline selection starts with an aptitude battery
It screens you before a human reads your application. Sit a timed practice paper free — scored on pace, which is what actually culls candidates.
Which one fits you
Read from the numbers above rather than from opinion. Where the published data does not settle a question, it is left open instead of guessed.
Southwest Airlines opens earlier
Southwest Airlines states 1,000 hours where Delta Air Lines states 1,500. That gap is roughly 1 year of flying at a typical instructor's pace, so for most candidates these are not two applications you send the same week — one is now and the other is later.
Delta Air Lines pays higher at both ends
Top of band: $210,000 as an FO and $420,000 as a captain. Bands are wide because seniority, fleet and country tax all move them — treat this as direction, not a payslip.
Whichever you pick, the gate is the same shape
Both run an aptitude battery before a human reads your CV, then a competency interview scored against the ICAO pilot competencies. We have a full pack for Delta Air Lines, and not for the other one yet.
Knowing what Delta Air Lines pays is the easy part. Getting through their selection is the part that decides whether you ever earn it.
Before a human reads your application there is an aptitude battery, and candidates consistently report it as the heaviest cull — pace, not difficulty. You can practise it here for free: timed papers generated fresh each run, plus a divided-attention drill that measures how much your performance degrades under load. And when you reach the interview, there are 100 Delta Air Lines-specific questions with model answers, the red flags that fail each one, and the follow-ups the panel actually asks.
Head-to-Head Comparison
Requirements Comparison
Delta Air Lines
- ATP certificate
- 1,500+ hours total time
- FAA Class 1 medical
- 4-year degree preferred
- Strong leadership and CRM skills
Southwest Airlines
- ATP certificate
- 2,500+ hours total time
- 1,000+ hours turbine PIC
- FAA Class 1 medical
- No degree requirement
Pros & Cons
Delta Air Lines
Pros
- +Industry-leading captain pay
- +Large domestic route network
Southwest Airlines
Pros
- +Simplified fleet — fewer type ratings needed
- +Large domestic route network
- +No degree requirement
About Each Airline
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines is consistently ranked as a top employer among US airlines, known for its strong company culture and competitive compensation.
Full Delta Air Lines career guide →Southwest Airlines
Southwest's single-type fleet (Boeing 737) and point-to-point model create a unique operational environment. Known for great company culture and work-life balance.
Full Southwest Airlines career guide →Calculate Your Salary
Model your earning potential at Delta Air Lines or Southwest Airlines based on your experience, ratings, and career stage.
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