Delta Air Lines pilots are paid an hourly rate for credit hours flown, against a published monthly minimum guarantee of 65 hours, plus a direct employer retirement contribution of 17 percent rising to 18 percent from 1 January 2026. Published rates run from about $118.00 per flight hour for a year-one first officer to $465.13 for a year-twelve wide-body captain.
Each figure below is attributed to the source that published it and the date it was read. If you want the general mechanics of airline pay rather than Delta's specifics, our airline pilot salary guide explains credit hours, guarantees and why a median wage is not a starting salary.
Delta Pilot Pay Rates, With Sources
| Seat And Stage | Published Hourly Rate | Source And Date |
|---|---|---|
| First officer, year one | $118.00 | Air Gazette carrier comparison, 2 June 2026, citing Airline Pilot Central January 2026 tables |
| Captain, wide-body, year twelve | $465.13 | Air Gazette carrier comparison, 2 June 2026, citing Airline Pilot Central January 2026 tables |
| International override, captain | $6.50 per hour | Airline Pilot Central Delta profile, read 13 September 2026 |
| International override, first officer | $4.50 per hour | Airline Pilot Central Delta profile, read 13 September 2026 |
One caution that the comparison source states itself: some Delta and American rates at intermediate years of service in that published table are modeled estimates rather than transcribed contract values. Delta publishes its rate tables as images inside its Pilot Working Agreement rather than as plain text, which is why secondary sources vary. If a specific year-of-service rate matters to a decision, take it from the agreement.
The Guarantee Is The Number That Makes The Income Predictable
Delta's published monthly minimum guarantee is 65 hours for a regular line. Reserve pilots are credited on an average line value basis with a published floor of 72 hours and a ceiling of 80. The profile also lists an average daily guarantee of 5 hours 15 minutes and a minimum of 2 hours 30 minutes per calendar day, and a new-hire disability floor of 83.33 hours per month. All of those figures are from the Airline Pilot Central Delta profile, read 13 September 2026.
The guarantee is what turns an hourly rate into a reliable income. It is paid whether weather, maintenance or a canceled trip takes your flying away, and it is one of the most important lines to compare when weighing two airline contracts against each other. A carrier with a higher rate and a lower guarantee can pay less in a bad month.
Retirement, Per Diem And Profit Sharing
| Item | Published Value |
|---|---|
| Employer retirement contribution | 17 percent direct, 18 percent from 1 January 2026 |
| 401(k) matching | Yes |
| A and B fund | 12 percent, pre-merger Delta pilots |
| Per diem, domestic | $2.85 per hour |
| Per diem, international | $3.30 per hour |
| Sick credit | 75 to 270 hours of annual use |
| Profit sharing, 2024 | 10.4 percent |
| Profit sharing, 2023 | 5.6 percent |
| Profit sharing, 2019, 2018 and 2017 | 16.6, 14.0 and 15.1 percent |
Source for the whole table: Airline Pilot Central Delta profile, read 13 September 2026; parts of that profile carry a "last updated April 2024" note, so treat the per diem figures in particular as a 2024 value.
An 18 percent direct retirement contribution is worth $54,000 on $300,000 of earnings, paid on top of your pay with no match required from you. It is the item that hourly-rate comparisons between carriers most often leave out, and at Delta and United it is two points higher than at American.
The profit-sharing history is worth reading as a set rather than a single number. Three pre-pandemic years in the mid-teens, then 5.6 percent in 2023 and 10.4 percent in 2024. Profit sharing is real money and the most cyclical line in the package.
What A Year Actually Adds Up To
Annualising an hourly rate requires an assumption about how much you fly, and the assumption below is ours. We have used 900 credit hours a year, which is 75 a month, and also shown the pay at the 65-hour guarantee for twelve months, which is the contractual floor rather than a realistic year.
| Seat And Stage | Rate | At The 65-Hour Guarantee (780 Hours) | At 900 Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| First officer, year one | $118.00 | $92,040 | $106,200 |
| Captain, wide-body, year twelve | $465.13 | $362,801 | $418,617 |
Add per diem for every hour away from base, add the retirement contribution, add profit sharing in a good year. Then subtract the reality that a first-year first officer is usually on reserve, which means being available rather than flying, and that the worst schedule of your career arrives in the same year as the lowest pay.
The Pilot Working Agreement
Delta's pilots are represented by the Air Line Pilots Association. The current Pilot Working Agreement is amendable on 31 December 2026, according to the Airline Pilot Central Delta profile read on 13 September 2026. Amendable does not mean expired: under the Railway Labor Act a contract stays in force after its amendable date while the parties negotiate. It does mean that rates published today may be superseded by a new agreement.
How Delta Compares With United, American And Southwest
| Airline | Year-One First Officer | Year-Twelve Wide-Body Captain | Retirement Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| United | $125.52 | $483.74 | 17 percent, 18 percent in 2026 |
| Delta | $118.00 | $465.13 | 17 percent, 18 percent from 1 January 2026 |
| American | $113.00 | $465.13 | 16 percent |
| Southwest | About $133.76 in 2024 | No wide-body fleet | Not listed on the profile read |
Sources: United rates from Airline Pilot Central, effective 1 January 2026, read 13 September 2026; Delta and American rates from Air Gazette, 2 June 2026, citing Airline Pilot Central January 2026 tables; Southwest from The Dallas Morning News, 25 March 2024. The full comparison, including per diem and guarantees, is on best-paying airlines for pilots.
What The Federal Wage Data Says
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $232,140 for airline pilots, copilots and flight engineers in May 2025 wage data, with the 10th percentile at $106,710 and the 90th at $463,830. Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, airline and commercial pilots, read 13 September 2026, with percentile figures as published by O*NET OnLine from 2025 BLS wage data. Delta's senior captain rates annualise close to the top of that federal distribution, which is what you would expect: this is one of the best-paid flying jobs in the country.
What It Takes To Be Hired
An unrestricted airline transport pilot certificate requires 1,500 hours under 14 CFR 61.159, including 500 hours cross-country, 100 hours night, 75 hours instrument and 250 hours of pilot-in-command time. Delta also runs the Propel Pilot Career Path Program for pilots earlier in the pipeline, which we explain on Delta Propel explained. We are not affiliated with Delta and that page is informational.
From zero, our airline pilot career program covers every rating through MEI in about nine months for $84,000, and time-building jobs for new commercial pilots covers the stage between 250 and 1,500 hours. Delta operates under Part 121, so 14 CFR 121.383(d) ends a pilot's Part 121 flying on their 65th birthday.
Related Reading
- Airline pilot salary guide — how pilots are actually paid.
- Best-paying airlines for pilots — every carrier's published rates compared.
- Delta Propel explained — the pathway program and what a qualified job offer is.
- United Airlines pilot salary — the most fully published rate grid of the three.
- American Airlines pilot salary — the APA contract and its rates.
- Southwest pilot salary — published trip-for-pay rates and the 2024 contract.
Delta Pilot Salary FAQ
How Much Does A Delta Pilot Make?
Published rates run from about $118.00 per flight hour for a year-one first officer to $465.13 for a year-twelve wide-body captain, as published by Air Gazette on 2 June 2026 citing Airline Pilot Central's January 2026 tables. At 900 credit hours a year those annualise to roughly $106,200 and $418,617, before per diem, profit sharing and an employer retirement contribution of 17 to 18 percent.
What Is Delta's Monthly Minimum Guarantee?
65 hours for a regular line. Reserve pilots are credited on an average line value basis with a published floor of 72 hours and a ceiling of 80. The same profile lists an average daily guarantee of 5 hours 15 minutes and a minimum of 2 hours 30 minutes per calendar day. Source: Airline Pilot Central Delta profile, read 13 September 2026.
How Much Does Delta Contribute To Pilot Retirement?
17 percent direct, rising to 18 percent from 1 January 2026, with 401(k) matching, plus a 12 percent A and B fund for pre-merger Delta pilots. On $300,000 of earnings, 18 percent is $54,000 a year paid on top of pay. Source: Airline Pilot Central Delta profile, read 13 September 2026.
What Is Delta Pilot Per Diem?
$2.85 per hour domestic and $3.30 per hour international, as published on the Airline Pilot Central Delta profile read on 13 September 2026. Parts of that profile carry a last-updated note of April 2024, so treat these as 2024 values and check the current agreement.
Does Delta Pay Profit Sharing To Pilots?
Yes, and the published history shows how variable it is: 10.4 percent for 2024 and 5.6 percent for 2023, against 16.6 percent in 2019, 14.0 percent in 2018 and 15.1 percent in 2017. Source: Airline Pilot Central Delta profile, read 13 September 2026.
When Is The Delta Pilot Contract Amendable?
31 December 2026, according to the Airline Pilot Central Delta profile read on 13 September 2026. Under the Railway Labor Act an amendable contract remains in force while the parties negotiate, so rates continue to apply until a new agreement replaces them.
How Many Flight Hours Do You Need To Fly For Delta?
An airline transport pilot certificate requires 1,500 hours of total time under 14 CFR 61.159, including 500 cross-country, 100 night and 75 instrument hours. Major carriers normally hire well above that minimum, usually after several years at a regional or cargo operator. Delta's Propel program is a structured pathway for pilots earlier in the pipeline.
Does Delta Pay More Than United Or American?
At the top of the scale Delta and American publish the same year-twelve wide-body captain rate of $465.13, against United's $483.74. At year one Delta's $118.00 sits between United's $125.52 and American's $113.00. Delta and United both publish a higher retirement contribution than American.
Start Where Every Airline Career Starts
The rates above are years and 1,500 flight hours from a first lesson, and the only way to know whether the work suits you is to do some of it. A 60-minute discovery flight is $229, you fly it from the left seat with an instructor beside you, and it is credited in full toward your training if you enroll within 24 hours. To plan the whole route, book a free consultation or call (818) 330-1318 any day between 9 AM and 9 PM. We are at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Main Terminal Unit 108, Van Nuys, CA 91406, at Van Nuys Airport.
