Delta pay 2026: hourly rate, boarding pay, per diem, first-year math
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#1 For candidates comparing the US majors, can someone at Delta lay out the pay structure and a realistic first-year month?
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#2 Per flight hour: a first-year rate in the high $30s, rising each year. Boarding pay at half rate since 2022 (a big change, historically boarding was unpaid). Per diem for every hour away from base. A reserve month pays the guarantee (roughly 70+ hours) even if you fly less. First year, after taxes, in a high-cost base it's tight, many new hires share crash pads. From year two or three with a line and premium trips it climbs quickly. Delta also pays profit sharing, which has been significant in good years.
