WestJet vs Southwest Airlines
A side-by-side comparison of pilot careers at WestJet (WS) 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 WestJet states 3,000. That gap is roughly 4 years 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.
Southwest Airlines pays higher at both ends
Top of band: $180,000 as an FO and $360,000 as a captain. Bands are wide because seniority, fleet and country tax all move them — treat this as direction, not a payslip.
Different countries, different right to work
WestJet hires into Canada and Southwest Airlines into United States. Before comparing anything else, check which one you can legally be employed in — residency and licence conversion decide more applications than flying ability does.
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 do not have a pack for either yet — the aptitude practice below applies to both.
Knowing what WestJet 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.
No WestJet pack yet — want it built?
We will not pretend to have one. We build the next pack for the airline that gets asked for most, so leaving your address here is a vote. No sequence, one email when it ships.
Head-to-Head Comparison
Requirements Comparison
WestJet
- Transport Canada ATPL
- 3,000+ hours total
- 1,000+ on type
- Class 1 medical
Southwest Airlines
- ATP certificate
- 2,500+ hours total time
- 1,000+ hours turbine PIC
- FAA Class 1 medical
- No degree requirement
Pros & Cons
WestJet
Pros
- +Simplified fleet — fewer type ratings needed
Cons
- –High minimum hour requirements (3,000+)
- –Lower starting FO salary compared to US/Gulf carriers
Southwest Airlines
Pros
- +Simplified fleet — fewer type ratings needed
- +Large domestic route network
- +No degree requirement
About Each Airline
WestJet
Canada's second-largest carrier, WestJet has evolved from LCC to full-service airline with international routes.
Full WestJet 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
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