How to Get Hired at Southwest as a PilotRequirements, Destination 225° & Pay (2026)

Federally, you need an FAA Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate (generally 1,500 total flight hours) and a first-class FAA medical. Southwest is highly competitive, so the realistic bar is much higher: a four-year degree is strongly preferred, and successful candidates typically bring 1,000-2,500+ hours of turbine pilot-in-command time from a regional airline, the military, or cargo/charter operations. Southwest is famous for placing heavy weight on personality and cultural fit alongside flight credentials. An FCC Restricted Radiotelephone permit is required for some operations.

Southwest pilot pay sits near the top of the industry after the SWAPA-negotiated contract ratified in 2023, which delivered substantial cumulative raises and now positions Southwest pay competitively with Delta, United, and American. First-year 737 First Officers earn approximately $98,000-$100,000, mid-career First Officers can exceed $210,000, and senior Captains can reach roughly $350,000-$360,000+ per year. For context, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median wage of $219,140 for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers — squarely inside Southwest's mid-career band. Note: Southwest pilots are not eligible for wide-body Captain pay because Southwest is a 737-only operator.

Destination 225° is Southwest Airlines' pilot career pathway program — Southwest's answer to Delta Propel, United Aviate, and American Cadet Academy. It provides a structured route to a Southwest cockpit through three primary tracks: (1) Cadet (ab-initio through partner US Aviation Academy), (2) Military (transition path for separating military pilots), and (3) Employee (path for current Southwest employees pursuing pilot careers). Like other major pathways, Destination 225° includes time at partner regional carriers to build the required turbine PIC time before reaching Southwest mainline. Check Southwest's official Destination 225° page for current tracks and eligibility.

Southwest hires in cycles tied to growth, retirements, and fleet plans. The 2022-2023 surge across all majors has normalized somewhat in 2024-2026, but Southwest continues hiring to backfill mandatory age-65 retirements and to support its 737 MAX fleet growth. Southwest has substantial 737 MAX deliveries scheduled. The most current openings are posted on Southwest's careers / pilot hiring page; that is the authoritative source.

A four-year degree is strongly preferred and the overwhelming majority of Southwest-hired pilots hold one. Southwest does not always make a degree an absolute, non-negotiable requirement, but in a competitive applicant pool not having one puts you at a clear disadvantage. If you are early in your journey and can complete a bachelor's degree in any field, do it. Aviation degrees are not required.

Southwest's interview is widely regarded as demanding, with a distinctive emphasis on personality and culture fit that sets it apart from the other majors. The HR / behavioral portion is famously the make-or-break stage at Southwest — strong technical pilots regularly fail because they did not communicate enthusiasm, sense of humor, customer focus, or genuine alignment with the 'Southwest spirit.' Prepare for the cultural component as seriously as the technical component.

A 737 type rating is helpful but not required. Southwest provides the type rating during new-hire training. Some pilots self-fund the type rating ($25,000-$35,000) before applying as a way to demonstrate commitment and reduce the airline's training risk. This rarely creates a meaningful advantage on its own — your hours, record, and interview performance matter more — but it can be a tiebreaker. Most pilots wait for Southwest to pay for the type rating after hire.

Three things stand out. First, fleet: Southwest is a 737-only operator (no wide-body or regional aircraft), which simplifies operations and means every Southwest pilot flies the same airframe family. Second, route structure: Southwest operates a point-to-point network rather than the traditional hub-and-spoke used by Delta, United, and American, which produces different commuting patterns and bidding dynamics. Third, culture: Southwest has historically emphasized personality, humor, and customer service as core hiring criteria, more than the other majors. Pay and benefits have converged after the SWAPA 2023 contract, so the cultural and structural differences now matter more than headline pay differences.

The most common modern path: earn your private, instrument, commercial, and multi-engine certificates; build to 1,500 hours (often as a flight instructor, or via Destination 225° Cadet path with US Aviation Academy); fly a regional airline (or military, cargo) as First Officer then Captain to build the 1,000-2,500+ turbine PIC hours Southwest values; then apply to Southwest mainline with strong flight credentials AND clear evidence of the cultural fit Southwest emphasizes in its interview.

From zero experience, plan on roughly 5-10 years depending on hour-building pace and the hiring market. Typically: 1-2 years of initial training and reaching 1,500 hours, then several years at a regional or in the military building competitive turbine PIC time, then application and interview at Southwest. Hot hiring markets compress this; slow markets extend it. Destination 225° is designed to structure and streamline the path, particularly for ab-initio cadets and separating military pilots.