Is Southwest Airlines a good company to work for?

Southwest Airlines has an overall rating of 3.9 out of 5, based on over 5,834 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months. 73% of employees would recommend working at Southwest Airlines to a friend and 52% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about Southwest Airlines have been left by employees working as Intern , First Officer and Internship .

Does Southwest Airlines pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Southwest Airlines employees rate their compensation and benefits as 4.0 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Southwest Airlines. This rating has decreased by 1% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Southwest Airlines?

73% of Southwest Airlines employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Southwest Airlines 3.8 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.8 for culture and values and 3.8 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Southwest Airlines?

Flight Attendant (723) , Ramp Agent (528) , Customer Service Representative (187) , Customer Service Agent (167) , Operations Agent (110) , Intern (99) , Manager (70) , Customer Service Supervisor (56) , CSA - Customer Service Associate (54) , Ramp Supervisor (53) , Airline Pilot (50) , Captain (47) , Analyst (46) , Customer Service (43) , Senior Software Engineer (38)

What are the pros of working at Southwest Airlines according to real employee reviews?

"Travel benefits were great and fun." ((in 765 reviews)); "The culture here is great and I don't fear for my job because they rule with LUV and not through fear." ((in 499 reviews)); "very friendly and great people to work with" ((in 379 reviews)); "Flight benefits are great if you're the kind of person who loves to travel with no guarantees." ((in 309 reviews)); "It is very fun and the pay is great." ((in 268 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Southwest Airlines according to real employee reviews?

"Poor Management too much headquarters oversight with little consideration for front line employees" ((in 169 reviews)); "The only cons I can think of are the long hours and weather conditions at times." ((in 91 reviews)); "Bad managers can be a bane." ((in 44 reviews)); "salaries are low and they try to sell travel/401k match to make up for it" ((in 37 reviews)); "upper management is difficult sometimes" ((in 34 reviews))

What are employees saying about Southwest Airlines layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Southwest Airlines layoffs and their outlook for job security at Southwest Airlines in 2026.

What are the top reviewed Southwest Airlines locations?

Dallas , Denver , Chicago , Phoenix , Houston , Los Angeles , Atlanta , Baltimore , Oakland , Las Vegas , Orlando , Bwi Airport , San Antonio , Oklahoma City , Austin , Nashville , San Jose , San Diego , Fort Lauderdale , Saint Louis , New York , Tampa , Indianapolis , Sacramento , San Francisco , Kansas City , Albany , Boston , Washington , Minneapolis

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Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines reviews

3.9

73% would recommend to a friend

(5,208 total reviews)

Robert E. Jordan

51% approve of CEO

52% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.0

Diversity & inclusion

4.0

Compensation and benefits

3.8

Culture & values

3.8

Work/Life balance

3.8

Career opportunities

3.2

Senior management

Southwest Airlines has an employee rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars, based on 5,208 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Southwest Airlines employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Transportation & Logistics industry (3.5 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

5K reviews

5.0

Feb 3, 2026

Great place going through some changes

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

SWA is a classic for everyone working there--the culture is strong and the people stand for something great. It's definitely experiencing growing pains as management attempts to be bigger and better, and I find myself missing the old days here. But overall, I'm lucky to have the job I do, and I'm grateful for being a part of something bigger! In the world of massive, unfeeling corporations, I do think SWA tries to stay true to their roots.

Cons

Iffy management decisions, long hours

Southwest Airlines Response

4mo

As you can attest in your 10 year tenue, Southwest is currently embracing the biggest transformation in our history—from the products we offer, how we serve our Customers’ needs, the technology supporting our operation, and even the ways our Teams work. Change can take time, and not everyone will agree with it, but we’re striving to set Southwest up for long-term success. We appreciate your contributions and work each day that’s moving us forward, and for all you do to keep our Culture and care for one another strong!

2.0

Jul 21, 2026

They laugh at our pain

Ramp agent

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Free flights is nice. 10% 401k is nice

Cons

The station managers and corporate are basically trying to destroy your body. It is absolutely ridiculous how hard I work for such little pay.

4.0

Jul 21, 2026

Flight benefits and work-life balance, but unstable leadership

Analyst

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Work life balance Flight benefits 401k Match

Cons

Unstable senior executives Unclear communication from senior leaders

Viewing 1 - 3 of 5,208 Reviews

Jobs at Southwest Airlines

Assoc Software Engineer

Material Specialist - ATL

Flight Ops Flight Instructor - HDQ

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Ratings by category

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Great place going through some changes

They laugh at our pain

Flight benefits and work-life balance, but unstable leadership

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