Research Summary. Using public government and company data along with information from thousands of job postings, our Zippia data experts have identified a variety of high-earning positions and their average annual salaries. Using that data set, our data scientsts have produced salary estimates for many of the jobs at Southwest Airlines.
Here is a quick overview of our findings for the highest-paying jobs at Southwest Airlines:
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Senior Software Engineer is the highest-paying job at Southwest Airlines with an average salary of $120,951 and an average hourly rate of $58.15.
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The second highest-paying job at Southwest Airlines is lead technician, with an average salary of $119,472.
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The average annual salary at Southwest Airlines is $41,081 per year, and the average hourly pay is $19.75.
Table Of Contents: Background | Table | Methodology | FAQs
Background
Sometimes people know which company they want to work for before they know exactly what job they want to do. If you’d like to work for Southwest Airlines, it helps to have an idea of the highest-paid positions that the company offers. That way, you can see if it’s worth applying.
So, how much do Southwest Airlines employees make? As with any company, Southwest Airlines employees’ salaries can fluctuate depending on their role, level of experience, and geographic location, but there are a few standout jobs that tend to pay more than the rest, on average. Here are some of the top salaries at Southwest Airlines:
Below is a full table of the jobs at Southwest Airlines that pay the most followed by a more detailed explanation of our methodology.
Highest Paying Jobs At Southwest Airlines
| Rank | Job Title | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Senior Software Engineer | |
| 2 | Lead Technician | |
| 3 | Senior Java Developer | |
| 4 | Devops Engineer | |
| 5 | Quality Assurance Lead | |
| 6 | Java/J2ee Developer | |
| 7 | Quality Assurance Analyst | |
| 8 | Business Analyst | |
| 9 | Business Consultant | |
| 10 | Team Leader | |
| 11 | Finance Associate | |
| 12 | Operations Manager | |
| 13 | Recruiter | |
| 14 | Office Manager | |
| 15 | Crew Scheduler | |
| 16 | Payroll Specialist | |
| 17 | Ground Operations Supervisor | |
| 18 | Human Resources Coordinator | |
| 19 | Administrative Coordinator | |
| 20 | Operation Supervisor |
Methodology
Zippia uses publicly published information from government sources such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Foreign Labor Certification Data Center (FLC), and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to create its salary estimates.
Our data science team also checks job postings and company-published resources for additional up-to-date salary information.
Once they’ve gathered the data, the team calculates a weighted average for each job title they’re estimating a salary for. For more details on our salary estimates, you can see a detailed methodology.
Highest Paying Jobs At Southwest Airlines FAQs
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What is the highest-paid job at Southwest Airlines?
The highest-paid job at Southwest Airlines is a senior software engineer. These professionals earn an average salary of $120,951, which works out to about $ 58.15 per hour.
The top 10 highest-paid jobs at Southwest Airlines are:
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Java/J2ee Developer – $105,743
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What is a good salary at Southwest Airlines?
A good salary at Southwest Airlines is a salary above $41,081 per year. $41,081 is the average salary at Southwest Airlines, so if you’re earning more than that, you’re typically doing well.
Of course, $41,081 may still be far too low for some positions, so pay close attention to what the going average is for someone in your role with your skill set and experience level. If you find that you’re being paid less, consider asking for a raise or finding out what you need to do to move into the next pay bracket.
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Do jobs at Southwest Airlines pay well?
No, jobs at Southwest Airlines don’t pay well. The average starting salary at Southwest Airlines is $19,000 a year or $9.13 per hour. The overall average salary at Southwest Airlines is $41,081 per year ($19.75 per hour), which is 0.9 times the average national salary of about $44,225 per year.
PSA Airlines, one of Southwest Airlines’s top competitors, pays its employees an average salary of $46,385 per year or $22.30 per hour. This is about $5,304 more than Southwest Airlines’s average salary, and $2.55 more per hour than Southwest Airlines’s average hourly pay.

