How many employees work at Southwest Airlines?
Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) has approximately 73,043 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. Southwest Airlines’s total headcount has declined 0.8% from 73,612 employees in 2023 to 73,043 in 2026.
Is Southwest Airlines hiring right now?
Yes, Southwest Airlines is actively hiring. Southwest Airlines had 108 active job postings in 2026, a 137.5% increase from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About Southwest Airlines’s Workforce
Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) is a Commercial Aviation company that employs 73,043 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 4th-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1967, the company is headquartered in Dallas, Texas and trades on the New York Stock Exchange.
Southwest Airlines's workforce has declined 0.8% from 2023 to 2026, down 1.3% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 72,831 in 2025 Q3 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in North America (97.9%), followed by Central America and the Caribbean (0.6%) and South Asia (0.5%).
Southwest Airlines's functional groups are Finance and Operations (43.3%), Sales and Marketing (40.7%), and Engineering (16.0%). The average salary is $94,065, ranging from a median of $67,000 in North America to $6,000 in South Asia.
Southwest Airlines's active job postings rose 137.5% in 2026 to 108, with new postings per month cooling from 240 in 2023 to 222 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is neutral but declining.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
- Ticker
- New York Stock Exchange: LUV
- Headquarters
- Dallas, Texas
- Founded
- 1967
- Industry
- Commercial Aviation
- Employees
- 73,043
- YoY
- -1.3% (-407)
As of March 2026
Southwest Airlines workforce metrics
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for Southwest Airlines. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
Unlock MetricsSouthwest Airlines Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)
- Southwest Airlines had 73,043 employees in 2026, a 1.3% decline (-407) from 2025.
- Southwest Airlines had 72,884 employees in 2025, a 1.9% decline (-1,418) from 2024.
- Southwest Airlines had 74,302 employees in 2024, a 1.1% decline (-784) from 2023.
- Southwest Airlines had 75,086 employees in 2023, a 0.6% increase (+4,111) from 2022.
Southwest Airlines's total workforce has grown from 72,831 employees in 2025 to 73,043 in 2026. Southwest Airlines's headcount peaked at 75,185 in 2024 before declining in 2025 and recovering through 2026.
Southwest Airlines Co. quarterly employee count
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 73,043 | -407 | -1.3% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 72,884 | -1,418 | -1.9% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 72,831 | -1,907 | -2.1% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 72,911 | -2,158 | -2.2% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 73,450 | -1,735 | -1.6% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 74,302 | -784 | -1.1% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 74,738 | +151 | -0.7% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 75,069 | +1,457 | -0.3% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 75,185 | +2,841 | +0.3% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 75,086 | +4,111 | +0.6% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 74,587 | +4,938 | +1.0% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 73,612 | +4,942 | +1.1% |
See Southwest Airlines's complete headcount history, including quarterly breakdowns.
Get the DataSouthwest Airlines Employee Count by Region (2026)
North America accounts for the largest share of Southwest Airlines's global workforce with approximately 98% of total employees, followed by Central America and the Caribbean and South Asia.
Southwest Airlines employees by region
| Region | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| North America | 71,094 | 97.9% |
| Central America and the Caribbean | 428 | 0.6% |
| South Asia | 353 | 0.5% |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 165 | 0.2% |
| Northern Europe | 123 | 0.2% |
| Western Europe | 72 | 0.1% |
| Southeast Asia | 68 | 0.1% |
| Central and Western Asia | 56 | 0.1% |
| Eastern Europe | 56 | 0.1% |
| Arab States | 42 | 0.1% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region, and historic geographic shifts.
Unlock Geographic DataSouthwest Airlines Employee Count by Department (2026)
Southwest Airlines's employee groups are Finance and Operations (43.3%), Sales and Marketing (40.7%), and Engineering (16.0%).
Southwest Airlines employees by department
| Department | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Operations | 31,365 | 43.3% |
| Sales and Marketing | 29,430 | 40.7% |
| Engineering | 11,570 | 16.0% |
Compare Southwest Airlines's department mix to industry peers.
See Full DataSouthwest Airlines Employee Salary by Region (2026)
Southwest Airlines's average employee salary is $94,065 globally. Employees in North America receive the highest compensation. Pay is lowest in South Asia, at a median of $6,000.
Southwest Airlines median employee salary by region (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| East Asia | $87,000 |
| Pacific Islands | $70,000 |
| Western Europe | $68,000 |
| North America | $67,000 |
| Northern Europe | $63,000 |
| Southern Europe | $38,000 |
| Arab States | $36,000 |
| South America | $29,000 |
| Eastern Europe | $27,000 |
| Central and Western Asia | $23,000 |
| Central America and the Caribbean | $20,000 |
| Southeast Asia | $14,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $11,000 |
| North Africa | $9,000 |
| South Asia | $6,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to Southwest Airlines's industry peers.
Unlock Salary DataSouthwest Airlines Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)
- Southwest Airlines had 108 active job postings in 2026, a 137.5% increase (+39) from 2025.
- Southwest Airlines had 69 active job postings in 2025, a 124.7% increase (+53) from 2024.
- Southwest Airlines had 16 active job postings in 2024, a 142.9% decline (-80) from 2023.
- Southwest Airlines had 96 active job postings in 2023, a 93.0% decline from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 222 new roles/month, down from 223 in 2025 and 205 in 2024.
Southwest Airlines's active job postings rose 137.5% in 2026 to 108, with new postings per month cooling from 240 in 2023 to 222 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Unlock Hiring DataSouthwest Airlines Employee Sentiment (2026)
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across Southwest Airlines's workforce based on public professional data. Overall sentiment is neutral and has declined year over year in 2026.
Overall
Unlock the full sentiment breakdown by department, tenure, and trend over time.
Unlock SentimentSimilar Companies
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Frequently Asked Questions About Southwest Airlines
- How fast is Southwest Airlines growing?
- In 2026, Southwest Airlines's headcount shrank 1.3% to 73,043 employees, down from 73,450 in 2025.
- See the full headcount history
- Where are Southwest Airlines employees located?
- Most Southwest Airlines employees are based in North America (97.9% of headcount), followed by Central America and the Caribbean and South Asia.
- Explore where the workforce is based
- What is the average salary at Southwest Airlines?
- The average employee salary at Southwest Airlines is approximately $94.1k per year.
- Analyze the salary distribution
- How many new job postings does Southwest Airlines open per year?
- In Q1 2026, Southwest Airlines opened 666 new job postings. In 2025, Southwest Airlines opened 2,677 new job postings — about 223 per month.
- Track hiring trends by role
- When was Southwest Airlines founded and where is it headquartered?
- Southwest Airlines was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
- Compare Southwest Airlines to industry peers
Speak with a workforce expert about Southwest Airlines.
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