Delta Air Lines
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First-year FO pay
$125.52/hr · Year 1 first officer, all aircraft
Delta PWA composite hourly rates effective Jan 1, 2026: year-1 first officers earn $125.52/hr on every aircraft (copy of the contract's pay tables reviewed Oct 18, 2026).
Source type: Delta PWA pay tables (effective Jan 1, 2026)
Source: https://dal.alpa.org/Portals/1/ThemePluginPro/uploads/2025/9/2/DALContractComparison-2026.pdf · last checked 2026-10-18 · rates effective 2026-01-01
Top captain pay
$483.74/hr · Year 12 captain, B777/B787/A350-900 (and A330/B767-400ER)
Delta ALPA's 'Contract 2026' comparison lists Delta's 12-year widebody captain rate as $483.74 from Jan 1, 2026 (the last raise in the current PWA).
Source type: Delta ALPA MEC contract comparison (union document, Sept 2025)
Source: https://dal.alpa.org/Portals/1/ThemePluginPro/uploads/2025/9/2/DALContractComparison-2026.pdf · last checked 2026-10-18 · rates effective 2026-01-01
Union & contract
ALPA · PWA effective March 2023 · amendable Dec 31, 2026
ALPA says Section 6 negotiations for a new agreement begin in spring 2026.
Source: https://www.alpa.org/supporting-pilots/pilot-groups/delta-air-lines · last checked 2026-10-18
Hiring status
Hiring: accelerated review of Spirit pilot applications (reported May 6, 2026)
ALPA's Delta page says hiring was expected to resume in 2026 after about 600 hires in 2025. Delta's PWA gives preferential interviews to pilots of shut-down ALPA carriers (ALPA Spirit MEC, Aug 2026).
Source: https://www.ajc.com/business/2026/05/after-spirit-shutdown-delta-jumps-on-hiring-pilots/ · last checked 2026-10-18
Minimums to apply
Unverified. We couldn't confirm a reliable source for this yet.
Delta's first-officer requirements page moved (404 when we checked).
Last searched 2026-10-18
Retirement / 401(k)
Unverified. We couldn't confirm a reliable source for this yet.
Delta's careers page claims 'the industry's best' 401(k) contributions but gives no figure.
Last searched 2026-10-18
Profit sharing
Unverified. We couldn't confirm a reliable source for this yet.
Delta's careers page claims 'the industry's best profit sharing program' but gives no figure.
Last searched 2026-10-18
Fleet
Orders include Boeing 737-10, Airbus A321neo, A330neo and A350
Source: https://www.delta.com/us/en/careers/pilots/overview · last checked 2026-10-18
Full pay scale
Composite hourly rates (USD) by year of service, Captain and First Officer, by aircraft type, effective January 1, 2026. This is the last raise scheduled in the current agreement, which becomes amendable Dec 31, 2026.
Effective: January 1, 2026
| B-777 | $443.85 | $447.45 | $451.12 | $454.76 | $458.40 | $462.00 | $465.64 | $469.22 | $472.87 | $476.47 | $480.09 | $483.74 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-350 | $443.85 | $447.45 | $451.12 | $454.76 | $458.40 | $462.00 | $465.64 | $469.22 | $472.87 | $476.47 | $480.09 | $483.74 |
| B-787 | $443.85 | $447.45 | $451.12 | $454.76 | $458.40 | $462.00 | $465.64 | $469.22 | $472.87 | $476.47 | $480.09 | $483.74 |
| A-330-900/300/200 | $443.85 | $447.45 | $451.12 | $454.76 | $458.40 | $462.00 | $465.64 | $469.22 | $472.87 | $476.47 | $480.09 | $483.74 |
| B-767-400ER | $443.85 | $447.45 | $451.12 | $454.76 | $458.40 | $462.00 | $465.64 | $469.22 | $472.87 | $476.47 | $480.09 | $483.74 |
| B-767-300ER | $368.14 | $371.26 | $374.27 | $377.31 | $380.51 | $383.48 | $386.33 | $389.52 | $392.29 | $396.50 | $400.77 | $404.92 |
| B-767-300/200 | $368.14 | $371.26 | $374.27 | $377.31 | $380.51 | $383.48 | $386.33 | $389.52 | $392.29 | $396.50 | $400.77 | $404.92 |
| B-757 | $368.14 | $371.26 | $374.27 | $377.31 | $380.51 | $383.48 | $386.33 | $389.52 | $392.29 | $396.50 | $400.77 | $404.92 |
| A-321N | $368.14 | $371.26 | $374.27 | $377.31 | $380.51 | $383.48 | $386.33 | $389.52 | $392.29 | $396.50 | $400.77 | $404.92 |
| B-737-900 | $358.02 | $360.83 | $363.66 | $366.61 | $369.59 | $372.56 | $375.48 | $378.42 | $381.43 | $384.27 | $387.28 | $390.30 |
| A-321 | $358.02 | $360.83 | $363.66 | $366.61 | $369.59 | $372.56 | $375.48 | $378.42 | $381.43 | $384.27 | $387.28 | $390.30 |
| B-737-800/700 | $356.46 | $359.23 | $362.07 | $365.00 | $367.95 | $370.84 | $373.73 | $376.65 | $379.59 | $382.47 | $385.40 | $388.27 |
| A-320/319 | $356.46 | $359.23 | $362.07 | $365.00 | $367.95 | $370.84 | $373.73 | $376.65 | $379.59 | $382.47 | $385.40 | $388.27 |
| A-220-300 | $343.51 | $346.36 | $349.15 | $351.97 | $354.82 | $357.69 | $360.50 | $363.31 | $366.11 | $368.96 | $371.82 | $374.66 |
| A-220-100 | $329.45 | $332.18 | $334.84 | $337.58 | $340.30 | $343.05 | $345.72 | $348.44 | $351.12 | $353.85 | $356.59 | $359.33 |
| B-717 | $320.81 | $323.16 | $325.81 | $328.46 | $330.98 | $333.71 | $336.25 | $338.89 | $341.52 | $344.18 | $346.86 | $349.38 |
| EMB-195 | $269.29 | $271.30 | $273.51 | $275.79 | $277.88 | $280.14 | $282.28 | $284.50 | $286.70 | $288.92 | $291.19 | $293.32 |
| EMB-190/CRJ-900 | $229.12 | $230.81 | $232.76 | $234.63 | $236.39 | $238.29 | $240.18 | $242.06 | $243.92 | $245.83 | $247.72 | $249.56 |
| B-777 | $125.52 | $239.41 | $280.15 | $286.94 | $293.79 | $301.24 | $309.61 | $316.72 | $320.17 | $324.52 | $327.42 | $330.44 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-350 | $125.52 | $239.41 | $280.15 | $286.94 | $293.79 | $301.24 | $309.61 | $316.72 | $320.17 | $324.52 | $327.42 | $330.44 |
| B-787 | $125.52 | $239.41 | $280.15 | $286.94 | $293.79 | $301.24 | $309.61 | $316.72 | $320.17 | $324.52 | $327.42 | $330.44 |
| A-330-900/300/200 | $125.52 | $239.41 | $280.15 | $286.94 | $293.79 | $301.24 | $309.61 | $316.72 | $320.17 | $324.52 | $327.42 | $330.44 |
| B-767-400ER | $125.52 | $239.41 | $280.15 | $286.94 | $293.79 | $301.24 | $309.61 | $316.72 | $320.17 | $324.52 | $327.42 | $330.44 |
| B-767-300ER | $125.52 | $198.62 | $232.42 | $238.10 | $243.92 | $250.02 | $256.92 | $262.94 | $265.60 | $270.01 | $273.34 | $276.56 |
| B-767-300/200 | $125.52 | $198.62 | $232.42 | $238.10 | $243.92 | $250.02 | $256.92 | $262.94 | $265.60 | $270.01 | $273.34 | $276.56 |
| B-757 | $125.52 | $198.62 | $232.42 | $238.10 | $243.92 | $250.02 | $256.92 | $262.94 | $265.60 | $270.01 | $273.34 | $276.56 |
| A-321N | $125.52 | $198.62 | $232.42 | $238.10 | $243.92 | $250.02 | $256.92 | $262.94 | $265.60 | $270.01 | $273.34 | $276.56 |
| B-737-900 | $125.52 | $193.02 | $225.86 | $231.32 | $236.88 | $242.91 | $249.70 | $255.47 | $258.21 | $261.73 | $264.13 | $266.58 |
| A-321 | $125.52 | $193.02 | $225.86 | $231.32 | $236.88 | $242.91 | $249.70 | $255.47 | $258.21 | $261.73 | $264.13 | $266.58 |
| B-737-800/700 | $125.52 | $192.22 | $224.85 | $230.32 | $235.86 | $241.75 | $248.51 | $254.25 | $256.97 | $260.44 | $262.83 | $265.19 |
| A-320/319 | $125.52 | $192.22 | $224.85 | $230.32 | $235.86 | $241.75 | $248.51 | $254.25 | $256.97 | $260.44 | $262.83 | $265.19 |
| A-220-300 | $125.52 | $185.31 | $216.85 | $222.09 | $227.46 | $233.18 | $239.72 | $245.24 | $247.90 | $251.29 | $253.58 | $255.90 |
| A-220-100 | $125.52 | $177.71 | $207.96 | $212.98 | $218.11 | $223.64 | $229.89 | $235.20 | $237.73 | $240.99 | $243.21 | $245.41 |
| B-717 | $125.52 | $172.87 | $202.31 | $207.24 | $212.14 | $217.57 | $223.60 | $228.77 | $231.20 | $234.38 | $236.61 | $238.62 |
| EMB-195 | $125.52 | $145.14 | $169.86 | $174.00 | $178.15 | $182.65 | $187.72 | $192.05 | $194.12 | $196.76 | $198.60 | $200.36 |
| EMB-190/CRJ-900 | $125.52 | $125.52 | $144.51 | $148.02 | $151.53 | $155.37 | $159.70 | $163.38 | $165.14 | $167.38 | $168.96 | $170.43 |
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We don't estimate any raise from the next contract, which hasn't been negotiated yet.
Source: Delta Air Lines–ALPA Pilot Working Agreement (2023), composite hourly pay rates effective January 1, 2026 (copy of the contract's pay tables reviewed Oct 18, 2026). The year-12 widebody captain rate ($483.74) also matches Delta ALPA's 'Contract 2026' comparison (Sept 2025). · last checked 2026-10-18
Bases & crashpads
Unverified. We couldn't confirm a reliable source for this yet.
Delta's careers page mentions domiciles across the U.S. but doesn't list them.
Bases source: https://www.delta.com/us/en/careers/pilots/overview · last checked 2026-10-18