| # | Carrier | Top of scale (base rate) | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Airlines | $60.72/hr | 2026-01-01 |
| 2 | Southwest Airlines | $60.42/hr | 2026-08-16 |
| 3 | Alaska Airlines | $58.75/hr | 2025-10-17 |
| 4 | United Airlines | $54.74/hr | 2025-11-30 |
| 5 | Allegiant Air | $50.02/hr | 2025-11-01 |
| 6 | Hawaiian Airlines | $47.83/hr | 2026-02-16 |
| 7 | Horizon Air | $39.31/hr | 2026-05-06 |
| 8 | PSA Airlines | $39.00/hr | 2026-09-07 |
| 9 | Envoy Air† | $37.14/hr | 2026-05-13 |
† Envoy Air: the dated scale tops at Step 9 ($37.14/hr shown above); the agreement prints a Step 10 top of $38.51 since Nov 2025, $39.67 from Nov 2026 with month-only dating, which would place it higher in this ranking. The full disclosure is on the carrier page.
Base rate only — before the A&P license premium, shift differential, lead pay, overtime and retirement contributions, which differ by carrier and can reorder take-home ranking. Each carrier page carries every verified addition with its citation.
What this ranking honestly cannot include yet
Cargo carriers are often quoted with precise-looking figures by salary aggregators. This page does not rank them, because: UPS mechanics are IBT Local 2727–represented but the current agreement text is not publicly posted — this site publishes only numbers it can cite to an archived public document; FedEx Express mechanics are not union-represented and no CBA exists; Delta mechanics are not union-represented — the employer-published comparison material is archived here but is not a ratified pay scale. When a public document exists, it joins the ranking. See Coverage for every carrier’s status and source.
Go deeper
The full comparison and chart · estimate your own rate · the carrier coverage table