Southwest Airlines · 2026
Southwest Airlines Captain Pay 2026
Captain base salary at Southwest Airlines by years of experience, with estimated take-home pay.
Captain base salary by year
| Year | Base salary | Est. take-home (TX) |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $320,640 | $239,647 |
| Year 5 | $331,200 | $246,511 |
| Year 10 | $343,680 | $254,623 |
Take-home estimate assumes Texas domicile and federal tax only.
A Captain at Southwest Airlines earns a base salary ranging from about $320,640 to $343,680 across the experience levels reported for 2026. Captain pay reflects both left-seat responsibility and the seniority required to hold the position — most pilots spend years as a First Officer before upgrading.
Seniority is the dominant factor in captain pay. Airline contracts set pay rates by year of service and aircraft category, so two captains at Southwest Airlines with the same tenure on the same fleet earn nearly identical base pay regardless of route or base. What changes take-home is the aircraft they hold — larger aircraft generally pay more — and the state they call home for tax purposes.
The table above shows base salary only. A Captain's real annual earnings at Southwest Airlines also include profit sharing, 401(k) match, and per diem. Open the explorer to see the full trajectory with those components and to compare captain pay against other airlines.