Pilot Salary by Airline (2026): Delta, United, American, Southwest, FedEx

Every airline publishes its own pay table, and the gaps between them are real. Here is what first officers and captains earn per hour at the big passenger airlines, the cargo carriers and the regionals, with the contract year behind each number and a simple way to turn an hourly rate into a yearly one.

A new first officer at a major US airline earns about $118 to $126 an hour in 2026. On each airline's minimum monthly hours, that works out to roughly $92,000 to $118,000 a year. A captain with 12 years on the widebody fleet at Delta, United or American earns $483.74 an hour, about $377,000 a year on Delta's minimum before profit sharing.

Most pilots start at a regional airline, where new first officers earn about $92 to $105 an hour. The tables below show each airline's rates, with the contract year behind every number.

How to read an airline pay table

Airline pilots are paid by the credit hour, not a salary. The rate depends on three things: your seat (first officer or captain), your years at that airline, and often the size of the airplane. Every airline also guarantees a minimum number of credit hours a month.

To estimate yearly pay, multiply the hourly rate by the monthly guarantee and by 12. That gives a floor. Most pilots credit more than the minimum, and the estimate leaves out per diem, profit sharing and retirement contributions, which can add a lot.

Pay by airline: major passenger and cargo airlines

Airline	First-year first officer (hourly)	Top captain rate (widebody or top aircraft)	Monthly minimum guarantee
Delta	$118.31 (2026 reports)	$483.74, 12-year widebody (2026)	65 hours
United	$125.52, all fleets (2026)	$483.74, 12-year 787, 777, 767-400 (2026)	Not published
American	$120.69 (after May 2026 raise)	$483.74, 12-year widebody (2026)	About 75 hours, roughly 900 a year (reported)
Southwest	$125.90 (2026)	$343.14, 12-year 737 (2026)	78 hours (90 trips for pay)
Alaska	$124.72 (from September 2025)	$353 to $361, 12-year 737 (sources differ)	70 hours
JetBlue	$112.32, all fleets (no raise since 2024)	$359.40, 12-year A320/A321	About 75 hours (reported)
FedEx	Not published (2026 contract)	$469.00, top of scale widebody (July 2026)	74 hours (prior contract)
UPS	About $56 to $60, probationary (2025 scale)	$401, all fleets (September 2025)	About 81 hours per 28-day bid period (reported)

Second-year first officers move up fast at the majors. At United, a second-year widebody first officer earns $239.41 an hour in 2026, almost double the first-year rate.

Pay by airline: regional airlines

Airline	First-year first officer (hourly)	First-year captain (hourly)	Monthly minimum guarantee
Endeavor Air	$105.08	$157	75 hours
Envoy	$99	Not published	Not published
PSA Airlines	Not published	Not published	75 hours
Piedmont	$96	$153.75	75 hours
Republic Airways	$93,646 a year, on 85 credit hours a month	Not published	75 hours
SkyWest	$92.73	$144.24	76 hours
Horizon Air	$92.72	$153.68	Not published

At a regional, a first-year first officer on a 75-hour guarantee at about $100 an hour earns roughly $90,000 a year before per diem. First-year captain pay at the regionals is about 50% to 60% higher than first-year first officer pay.

Delta pilot salary

Delta's pilot contract (the PWA) took its last scheduled raise of 4% on January 1, 2026, and is amendable December 31, 2026. A 12-year widebody captain earns $483.74 an hour and a 12-year widebody first officer $330.44, according to the Delta pilots' union as reported by Simple Flying. Some guides still show $465.13 for the captain rate, so check the date on any table you read.

What sets Delta apart is profit sharing. Employees get 10% of the first $2.5 billion of profit and 20% above that, and for 2025 it paid 8.9% of eligible pay in February 2026. Delta also puts 18% of pay into a pilot's 401(k) from 2026.

Estimate, before per diem, profit sharing and 401(k): a first-year first officer at $118.31 an hour on the 65-hour guarantee earns $118.31 x 65 x 12 = about $92,300. A 12-year widebody captain at $483.74 on the same 65 hours earns about $377,300.

United pilot salary

United's contract was ratified in 2023, and the current pay table took effect January 1, 2026. Every new first officer earns $125.52 an hour in year one, whatever the airplane, which is the highest published first-year rate among the three big network airlines. From year two the rate depends on the fleet, from $192.22 on a regular narrowbody to $239.41 on a widebody.

A 12-year widebody captain earns $483.74 an hour. United also pays profit sharing and puts 18% of pay into the 401(k) from 2026.

Estimate, before per diem, profit sharing and 401(k): United's monthly guarantee is not in our sources, so assume 75 credit hours. A first-year first officer earns $125.52 x 75 x 12 = about $113,000.

American Airlines pilot salary

American's pilots, represented by the Allied Pilots Association, ratified their contract in August 2023. It raises pay every May: 5% in 2024, 4% in 2025, 4% in 2026 and 3% in 2027. The contract is amendable August 1, 2027.

After the May 2026 raise, a first-year first officer earns about $120.69 an hour. Published figures for the 12-year widebody captain range from $465.13 to $483.74 an hour depending on the source and the raise date. The company puts 18% of pay into the 401(k) from January 2026.

Estimate, before per diem, profit sharing and 401(k): a first-year first officer at $120.69 an hour on a reported guarantee of about 900 hours a year earns about $108,600.

Southwest pilot salary

Southwest flies one airplane family, the Boeing 737, so there is no widebody premium. Every captain is paid on one scale, and every first officer on another. That is why Southwest's top captain rate, $343.14 an hour at 12 years in 2026, is lower than the widebody rates at the big three, even though its first-year first officer rate of $125.90 is among the highest.

Southwest also pays by "trips for pay" (TFP) instead of plain hours. One Mile at a Time reported that TFP rates convert to hourly rates by multiplying by 1.149, so compare carefully. The contract ratified in January 2024 gave 29.15% at signing, then 4% in 2025, 2026 and 2027 and 3.25% in 2028. The company contributes 18% of pay to retirement from 2026, plus 2% to a cash balance plan.

Estimate, before per diem, profit sharing and retirement: a first-year first officer at $125.90 an hour on the 78-hour guarantee earns $125.90 x 78 x 12 = about $117,800.

Cargo pilot salary: FedEx and UPS

Cargo airlines pay at or near the top of the industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median airline pilot at couriers and express delivery companies at $334,930 (May 2025), against $293,240 at scheduled passenger airlines. The tradeoff is the schedule: much of the flying is at night and on long international trips.

FedEx pilots ratified a new contract in June 2026, effective June 29, 2026. The union reported a raise of about 40% in hourly pay, then 3% a year from 2028, and back pay of up to $150,000 for captains and $102,500 for first officers. A top-of-scale widebody captain earns $469.00 an hour from July 2026 and a top-of-scale widebody first officer $332.49. A first-year first officer rate under the new contract was not published in the sources we found.

UPS pilots are on a 2022 contract extension that became amendable September 1, 2025, and talks were still open in mid 2026. The September 2025 scale pays a top captain $401 an hour and a top first officer $284 on every fleet. New UPS first officers start on a low probationary rate of about $56 to $60 an hour. Both FedEx and UPS still have a defined-benefit pension: at UPS, $4,000 or more per year of service, capped at 30 years.

Estimates, before per diem and retirement: a top FedEx widebody captain at $469.00 x 74 hours x 12 = about $416,500. A top UPS captain at $401 x 81 hours x 13 bid periods = about $422,300.

First officer salary

A first officer is the second pilot in the cockpit, and every new airline pilot starts in that seat. First-year first officers earn about $92 to $105 an hour at the regionals and about $112 to $126 an hour at the major passenger airlines in 2026. On a typical guarantee, that is roughly $83,000 to $118,000 a year before extras.

The big jump comes in year two at a major. At United, a widebody first officer goes from $125.52 to $239.41 an hour.

The other side of these numbers

Seniority does not transfer. Pay and schedules follow your date of hire at one airline. A 12-year captain who moves to another airline starts over at first-year first officer pay. The airline you join early tends to be the one you stay with.

Hiring comes in cycles. In August 2020, with travel collapsed, United told 2,850 pilots they could be furloughed, and Delta planned to furlough 1,941. Most of those were later avoided, but hiring stopped for a time. It can happen again in a downturn.

The top rates take years. The 12-year rates in these tables mean 12 years at that airline, usually after several years at a regional. United asks for at least 1,500 hours and prefers 1,000 hours in turbine airplanes. FedEx lists 1,500 hours of turbine time and a bachelor's degree.

Training comes first. Before any of this pay starts, you need a commercial certificate, an ATP certificate and the flight time to get hired. Most pilots spend that time instructing, at a fraction of airline pay. See the pilot salary guide for how long each step takes and what it pays. A career program covers the first step, from zero to a commercial certificate and an instructor rating.

Questions

How much does a Delta pilot make?

A first-year Delta first officer earns about $118 an hour in 2026, roughly $92,000 a year on the 65-hour monthly guarantee. A 12-year widebody captain earns $483.74 an hour, about $377,000 on the same guarantee, plus profit sharing that paid 8.9% of pay for 2025.

Which airline pays pilots the most?

By published hourly rate, United, Delta and American share the top captain rate in 2026: $483.74 an hour for a 12-year widebody captain. FedEx's top widebody captain rate is $469 from July 2026 and rises to $483.07 in January 2028. By median yearly pay, cargo leads: $334,930 at couriers and express delivery companies in May 2025.

How much do FedEx pilots make?

Under the contract that took effect June 29, 2026, a top-of-scale FedEx widebody captain earns $469 an hour and a top widebody first officer $332.49. That is about $416,000 a year for the captain on a 74-hour monthly guarantee, before per diem.

Do pilots get profit sharing?

At some airlines, yes. Delta paid 8.9% of eligible pay as profit sharing for 2025, and United, American and Southwest also have profit sharing plans. It depends on the airline making money, so it is not part of the guaranteed pay.

How much do regional airline pilots make?

First-year first officers at the regionals earn about $92 to $105 an hour in 2026, with Endeavor at $105.08. First-year captains earn about $144 to $157 an hour. Most regionals guarantee 75 credit hours a month.

How much does a first officer make?

A first-year first officer earns about $92 to $126 an hour at US regional and major passenger airlines, depending on the airline. That is roughly $83,000 to $118,000 a year on a typical monthly guarantee, and pay at a major airline roughly doubles in the second year.

Sources

Last reviewed October 2026. Pay tables change with every contract, so check the source before you make a decision on one of these numbers.