Fly with Heart as a First Officer.

Pilot your own career.

For many, the sky is the limit. For you, it's home. Being a Southwest^® Pilot is more than a career—it’s a calling.

Life as a First Officer at Southwest Airlines^® is about more than flying an aircraft—it's about connecting People to what's important in their lives.

Southwest’s First Mother/Daughter Pilot Duo Takes Flight

Stay updated on First Officer opportunities

Southwest Airlines Pilot First Officer smiling in front of Southwest plane

Apply as a Southwest Pilot.

We post a new Southwest Pilot opportunity on the seventh of each month (e.g., Nov. 7). We’re migrating our Pilot - First Officer application process exclusively to Southwest Careers, as we enhance the user experience and application security. During this transition, if you’ve previously uploaded profile information or files to Pilot Credentials, we’re working to migrate that information to our applicant tracking system.

Apply to be a First Officer

Apply on Southwest Careers

During an open hiring window, please apply to the Pilot - First Officer role on Careers.Southwestair.com. You're required to apply for an open position for interview consideration.

Provide your required documents

In our new process, we'll ask for additional information and files to be sent directly to the Southwest Pilot Hiring Team during the application journey. No action is required at this time, and we will contact you with additional guidance or requests for information as needed.

Minimum qualifications

Southwest Airlines Pilots walking on the jet bridge

Certificates/Ratings

USA DOT/FAA Airline Transport Pilot Certificate. The certificate must display the following:

"Airplane Multiengine Land" Category and Class Ratings
"English Proficient" limitation

USA DOT/FAA First Class Medical Certificate and, if applicable, any necessary Special Issuance of a Medical Certificate (Authorization) or Statement of Demonstrated Ability (SODA) issued by the Federal Air Surgeon.

Southwest Airlines Pilots smiling in front of Southwest plane taking off

Flight experience

Preferred: 500 hours in a fixed-wing turbine aircraft or successfully completed all aspects of a Destination 225° pathway program
Preferred: actively flying for two of the last five years
Note: PIC time is defined as Captain or Aircraft Commander of record or pilot signing for the aircraft (not sole manipulator of the controls)
Note: only time in a fixed-wing aircraft is counted, this specifically excludes simulator, helicopter, WSO, RIO, FE, NAV, EWO, and UAV

Wanna explore a new career path from 35,000 feet?

Destination 225° trains and empowers future Pilots on how to fly The Southwest Way. If you've ever dreamed of a career at 35,000 feet, set your course for 225°.

Discover Destination 225°^®

Photo of Southwest Airlines Pilot smiling in the flight deck

Leading future aviators with Captain Geoff B.

Learn from Captain Geoff B. about how he dedicates his time to help students discover their passions in aviation through the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP) Aerospace Career Education (ACE) Academy.