If you’ve ever traveled by air, you’ve likely flown with or considered flying with Southwest Airlines. As the largest low-cost carrier airline in the world, Southwest is a popular choice for hundreds of millions of passengers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But have you thought about working at Southwest Airlines? Learn about internships, opportunities for recent graduates, benefits, company culture, and more. In this guide, we cover:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As one of the largest airlines in the world, Southwest Airlines’<\/a> purpose is \u201cto connect people to what\u2019s important in their lives through friendly, reliable, and low-cost travel.\u201d Southwest provides the opportunity to explore the world, reconnect with loved ones, and get from point A to B in a budget-friendly manner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Southwest Airlines opened its doors in 1971<\/a> but only serviced the Texas Triangle: San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston. Founded by Rollin King and Herb Kelleher, the airline quickly proved successful as a fun, casual alternative to the formal environment of other airlines. By 1979, Southwest flew to 12 destinations \u2014 30 destinations by 1989, 54 by 1999, 67 by 2009, and 102 by 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Southwest Airlines has more than 60,000 employees<\/a> and services over 120 airports across 11 countries. The airline operates 4,000+ flights a day during the peak travel season and posted revenue of $23.8 billion<\/a> in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Southwest Airlines helps students and new graduates get their careers off the ground. The company’s paid internships are available in human resources, marketing<\/a>, technical operations, technology<\/a>, communications and outreach, finance<\/a>, supply chain management, and flight\/inflight operations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n All interns should be at least a sophomore by the time their internship begins and studying a relevant field. In addition, interns must be full-time students with a cumulative 2.5 GPA to apply to the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many Southwest interns become full-time employees, so an internship could be the foot in the door you need. And in addition to gaining valuable work experience, interns are eligible for free domestic travel on Southwest! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Below are more specifics about Southwest Airlines’ internships and direct hire <\/a>programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Applications for summer internships open in the first half of September. Spring internships are fully remote but with opportunities to visit the corporate office in Dallas, Texas. The experience lasts from the end of January until April (12 weeks) and requires at least 24 hours of work a week. Southwest Airlines gives interns a $500 stipend for a home office setup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Applications for summer internships open in the first half of October. Summer internships are mostly in-person, but workplace flexibility options are available. The exceptions are technology department internships, which are fully remote. Internships last from late May to mid-August (12 weeks) and require a full-time work schedule commitment of 40 hours per week. Southwest Airlines provides summer interns with a $1,000 stipend for relocation to Dallas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Neurodiverse Technology Internship is a summer program for neurodiverse students with autism spectrum disorder. The tailored program includes career coaching and mentorship on top of work experience. Applications open the last week of January, and the internship takes place from late May to mid-August (12 weeks). This virtual program comes with optional, in-person opportunities in Dallas and requires a full-time commitment. Southwest offers interns a $1,000 stipend for home office setups and other work expenses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Southwest’s direct college hire program helps students transition smoothly from the classroom to the office. The program is to assist recent college graduates or professionals early in their tech careers in their professional development journey. The company helps you develop lasting networking<\/a> connections while building your career. <\/p>\n\n\n\n >>MORE:<\/strong> Ready to launch your career? Check out Forage’s free professional development virtual experience programs<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can apply to three roles in Southwest’s technology direct hire program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Entry-level associate analysts act as liaisons between the technology team and the company, working to solve complex business problems. Preferred qualifications include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Southwest Airlines’ Associate Software Engineers (ASWEs) work on full-scale implementation and product improvement projects. Preferred qualifications for ASWEs are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n >>MORE: <\/strong>Experience a day in the life of a software engineer with Cisco’s Intro to Software Engineering Virtual Experience Program.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Developing, evaluating, installing, and implementing systems are essential tasks for associate system engineers. Qualifications include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still in school? Southwest Airlines offers a scholarship<\/a> of up to $5,000 for students pursuing a career in the aviation industry. Must be attending or planning to attend an accredited college or university, have at least a 2.5 GPA, and be 24 years of age or younger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When considering a career with an airline, you may automatically think of pilot and flight attendant jobs. However, many other job opportunities at Southwest exist beyond aircraft and airport roles. Other opportunities include roles on Southwest’s corporate, customer support, technology, and operations teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your compensation will vary depending on your previous work experience and skills. But, in general, here\u2019s what you can expect from roles on two of Southwest Airlines’ teams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Southwest\u2019s technology team<\/a> uses innovation, strategic planning, and problem-solving to help the airline operate safely and on time. According to Glassdoor<\/a>, these are the estimated average salaries for early-career positions (0-1 years of experience) on Southwest\u2019s technology team:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most technology jobs<\/a> listed on Southwest’s career page include a base salary range to help you determine your earning potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n >>MORE: <\/strong>Learn about a data science career in the aviation industry with the British Airways Data Science Virtual Experience Program<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Are you interested in analyzing data and workplace problem-solving? If so, Southwest Airlines\u2019 corporate roles may be the right fit for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The following are the average salaries for early-career positions (0-1 years of experience) for career paths on the Southwest Airlines corporate team: <\/p>\n\n\n\n When working at Southwest Airlines, you can expect traditional benefits<\/a>, such as comprehensive health insurance and paid time off. On top of conventional offerings, these are some of the distinctive benefits and perks<\/a> employees have at Southwest Airlines: <\/p>\n\n\n\n What do employees think of these benefits? According to Glassdoor, Southwest employees rate their benefits an average of 4.6 out of 5 stars. Some of the most highly rated benefits are the 401(k) plan, extended leave, travel perks, and employee discounts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On Comparably<\/a>, perks and benefits get a rating of 87 out of 100, an A+, and 70% of employees rate their office perks as “good” or “fantastic.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n >>MORE:<\/strong> What Are Fringe Benefits?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Southwest Airlines promotes<\/a> a “culture of caring,” and the company takes pride in putting people first. Every employee contributes to the company culture, which helps Southwest provide quality hospitality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Another cultural aspect of Southwest is celebrating. Company-wide events are prevalent and include spirit parties, chili cookoffs, Southwest rallies, and local parties. The final pillar of Southwest\u2019s culture is putting its \u201cheart in action.\u201d The company encourages employees to volunteer and give back to their surrounding communities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What is the work culture like at Southwest from an employee perspective? Besides earning a spot on Forbes’<\/a> America’s Best Large Employers 2023 ranking, Southwest’s culture rating on Comparably is 4.6 out of 5 stars (an A+), and 87% of employee reviews are positive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Leadership, happiness, and compensation are a few of the highest-rated cultural metrics. On the other hand, office culture and professional development are the lowest rated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Coworkers tend to get along at Southwest, with 91% looking forward to interacting with their coworkers daily. Eighty-four percent of Southwest employees call their workplace positive, and 77% are happy with their work-life balance<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n MIT’s Culture 500<\/a> ranking shows that collaboration<\/a> is the most positively discussed cultural value among employees at Southwest Airlines. However, execution and agility are often discussed negatively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n >>MORE:<\/strong> What Is Company Culture (and Why Does it Matter)?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Southwest Airlines’ initiatives and corporate citizenship efforts focus on people, the planet, and performance and governance. These are some of the company’s major projects: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you see a future career at an airline but aren\u2019t sure if working at Southwest Airlines is the right fit for you? See how Southwest Airlines compares to other large airlines, according to Comparably and Glassdoor reviews: <\/p>\n\n\n\nStudent and New Graduate Opportunities at Southwest Airlines <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Spring Internships<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Summer Internships<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Neurodiverse Technology Internship<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Direct College Hire Program<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Associate Analyst<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Associate Software Engineer<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Associate System Engineer<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Southwest Airlines Careers and Salaries<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Southwest Airlines Technology Jobs <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Southwest Airlines Corporate Jobs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Southwest Airlines Benefits <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Southwest Airlines Culture <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Southwest Airlines Initiatives <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Southwest Airlines vs. Other Top Companies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n