If you’re a frequent flier, you may have flown with Delta, the second-largest airline in the world in fleet size and passengers transported. But what about working at Delta Air Lines? If you want an airline career, this guide will cover the basics you need to know about Delta careers, from compensation and benefits to internship opportunities for students.
- What Is Delta Air Lines?
- Student and New Graduate Opportunities at Delta Air Lines
- Delta Air Lines Careers and Salaries
- Delta Air Lines Benefits
- Delta Air Lines Culture
- Delta Air Lines vs. Other Top Companies
- How Does the Delta Air Lines Interview Process Work?
- Takeaways
What Is Delta Air Lines?
Delta Air Lines‘ roots date back to 1925 when its predecessor operated as a commercial agricultural crop-dusting company called Huff Daland Dusters. Three years later, C.E. Woolman purchased Huff Daland Dusters and renamed it Delta Air Service. In 1945, the company became Delta Air Lines and celebrated more than 300 million passenger miles.
In the 1950s, Delta began to expand quickly with its first international flight and grew over the next few decades as it merged with Northeast Airlines and Western Airlines.
Today, Delta departs more than 4,000 flights a day to over 275 destinations worldwide. The company has over 90,000 employees and serves around 200 million customers annually. Although Delta has significant global hubs, the company headquarters are in Atlanta, Georgia.
As an airline, Delta aims to connect people with communities, experiences, and one another and was named North America’s most on-time airline in 2022.
Student and New Graduate Opportunities at Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines offers students and graduates several opportunities to jumpstart their careers, including internships and co-op, MBA, and rotational programs.
Internship Program
Delta’s paid internship program is 10-12 weeks over the summer. It gives students a chance to experience the inner workings of a large business, the types of projects Delta employees work on, networking opportunities, and professional development.
Internship opportunities are most frequently available on the following teams:
- Aviation management
- Commercial strategy
- Finance
- Global sales
- Information technology
- Marketing
- Sustainability
Eligible interns must be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program and will work 40 hours a week at Delta’s Atlanta headquarters. In addition to receiving pay, out-of-state students also receive a housing stipend. And worldwide pass travel privileges allow interns to travel anywhere Delta flies.
>>MORE: How to Get an Internship Without Job Experience
Co-Op Program
Delta’s paid cooperative program consists of two or three 12-plus week rotations on various company teams. You’ll gain valuable career experience as you get an inside look at working at Delta Air Lines. Students must be enrolled in a four-year degree program and commit to alternating quarters or semesters of work and school — over three work semesters, four work quarters, or two consecutive semesters or quarters.
This program hires year-round, as rotations occur every semester (spring, summer, and fall). Co-op opportunities are available on 16 teams, from consumer insights to operational analytics, and students work 40 hours per week in Atlanta during their work rotations. Out-of-state students receive a housing stipend, and all participants are eligible for pass travel privileges throughout the program (even during the “off” quarters or semesters).
MBA Program
Delta’s MBA program is a full-time two or three-year program aligned with different business units. It allows participants to experience working at Delta firsthand and provides exposure to the inner workings of the business. This program offers three team options for MBA participants: commercial & CX strategy, finance, and supply chain.
As this program is full-time, participants receive full benefits and competitive pay.
Rotational Program
Delta’s two rotational programs for new or upcoming graduates are a commercial strategy analyst program and a finance program. Consisting of two 18-month rotations, graduates deepen their understanding of commercial strategy and finance topics as they progress through various associate analyst, senior analyst, and specialist roles.
Analysts are full-time employees at Delta and receive professional development opportunities, networking opportunities, and worldwide pass travel privileges. Out-of-state participants receive relocation assistance.
>>MORE: Level up your professional skills with Forage’s free professional development virtual experience programs.
Delta Air Lines Careers and Salaries
In addition to airport and flight-based jobs, Delta has career opportunities at its corporate offices in various fields, such as engineering, business, information technology, and finance.
Experience, skills, and location all influence employee salaries. However, here’s what you can expect as a full-time corporate Delta employee on two of the company’s teams.
Delta Engineering Jobs
Delta’s engineering team builds and maintains complex company systems. According to Glassdoor, below are the estimated average salaries for early-career positions (0-1 years of experience) on the engineering team:
- Software developer: $108,400
- Senior software developer: $146,100
- Software engineer: $118,200
- Senior software engineer: $155,900
- Data engineer: $117,900
>>MORE: Guide to the Software Engineer Career Path
Delta Analytics Jobs
Delta’s analytics team researches and analyzes data and makes crucial decisions. Below are the estimated average salaries on Glassdoor for early-career positions with up to one year of experience on the analytics team:
- Business analyst: $90,500
- Commercial strategy analyst: $113,800
- Operations analyst: $71,900
- IT business analyst: $95,000
- IT senior business analyst: $110,200
- Data scientist: $131,600
>>MORE: Learn what a data scientist career looks like at a major airline with the free British Airways Data Science Virtual Experience Program.
Delta Air Lines Benefits
Delta employees receive generous traditional benefits such as a 401(k) with up to 9% matching, competitive salary, paid time off (two to five weeks of vacation, holidays, and seven days of personal time), health insurance, and more.
Here are some additional fringe benefits at Delta:
- Travel perks: Delta employees and their eligible family members receive space-available domestic and international flight privileges. Also, employees can access over 500 travel discounts, including car and hotel rentals and reduced fares on other airlines.
- Parental benefits: Delta offers up to 12 weeks of parental leave at 100% base pay for the birthing parent. For non-birthing, adoptive, or surrogate parents, Delta gives two weeks of paid leave at 100% base pay.
- Well-being benefits: Delta Air Lines provides employees with an employee assistance program, financial coaching, and mental health resources. Employees also have backup dependent care for 25 days (highly subsidized).
Delta employees rate their overall benefits 4.3 out of 5 stars on Glassdoor. A few of the company’s highly rated benefits are stock options, the 401(k) program, work-from-home options, and employee discounts.
On Comparably, Delta employees rate their perks and benefits 77 out of 100, or a B+, and 75% of employees are satisfied with their benefits.
Delta Air Lines Culture
Delta’s company culture revolves around supporting the communities where it lives, works, and serves and is rooted in its core values: honesty, integrity, respect, perseverance, and servant leadership.
The company’s spirit of service and dedication to putting its people first has led to various awards and honors:
- Fortune World’s Most Admired Companies 2022
- Glassdoor Best Places to Work 2022
- Forbes Best Workplaces for Women 2022
- Forbes Best Employers for Diversity 2022
- Forbes World’s Best Employers 2022 (#6)
- 100% score on the Disability Equality Index
To give back to its communities, Delta invests in projects to help make the world a better place. These are a few initiatives the company is currently working on:
Diversity and Inclusion
The company supports its diversity and inclusion efforts with 10 Business Resource Groups with over 30,000 employees. Also, Delta commits to a “skills-first” hiring plan to ensure equity and give as much consideration to a candidate’s skills and experience as their education and degree. In addition, the company is continually working to form a more diverse workforce and is providing transparent results along the way.
>>MORE: New Collar Jobs: Why Companies Are Prioritizing Skills Over School
Sustainability
Delta aims to replace 10% of its jet fuel refined from fossil fuels with sustainable aviation fuel by the end of 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. In 2020, the company retired more than 200 aircraft and replaced them with more fuel-efficient models. In addition, the company has recycled over three million pounds of aluminum — enough to fund the construction of 12 Habitat for Humanity homes.
Community Engagement
Recognized for its volunteer efforts, Delta is deeply involved in its surrounding communities and is committed to giving back 1% of its annual net income. So far, employees have assisted with building 273 homes with Habitat for Humanity and 35 playgrounds with KABOOM! Delta has also donated over one million pounds of food to Feeding America.
What do employees think of the company culture? Based on more than 2,400 employee reviews, MIT Culture 500 found collaboration as the most frequently discussed positive cultural value at Delta. Agility is the most often negatively discussed value at the company.
>>MORE: What Is Company Culture (and Why Does It Matter)?
According to Comparably, the overall culture rating at Delta is 77 out of 100, or an A. Compared to more similar-sized companies, Delta ranks in the top 5% for three cultural ratings: CEO rating, gender, and eNPS. Employees negatively rate office culture and professional development at Delta. Other ratings include:
- 91% of employees look forward to interacting with their coworkers
- 80% call their work environment positive
- 58% are happy with their work-life balance
Delta Air Lines vs. Other Top Companies
If you’re ready to launch your career at an airline but aren’t sure which is the best fit for you, check out how working at Delta Air Lines compares to other top companies (based on Comparably and Glassdoor reviews):
| Comparably Culture | Glassdoor Overall | Culture & Values | Diversity & Inclusion | Compensation & Benefits | |
| Delta Air Lines | 62 / 100 | 4.3 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 | 3.8 / 5 | 4.1 / 5 |
| United Airlines | 66 / 100 | 4 / 5 | 3.8 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 | 3.9 / 5 |
| Southwest Airlines | 80 / 100 | 4.2 / 5 | 4.1 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| Frontier Airlines | 52 / 100 | 3.3 / 5 | 2.9 / 5 | 3.7 / 5 | 3.1 / 5 |
>>MORE: Guide to Working at Southwest Airlines
How Does the Delta Air Lines Interview Process Work?
You can apply for student and graduate opportunities on Delta’s career site by filtering for “Internships, Co-ops & University Recruiting Programs.” Check each role description for specific requirements. Delta hires for all its early career opportunities year-round, so keep your eye on openings, sign up for the Talent Community, and follow the company on social media for alerts about new opportunities.
Although the interview process may vary based on the specific position, the company provides the following general guidance about its interview process:
- You may be asked to participate in a virtual interview as part of the process. This can be face-to-face through Microsoft Teams or an on-demand one-way interview through HireVue. Both interviews involve answering a set of predetermined questions.
- Review the job description and job preview video (if available) to get a sense of the job requirements, responsibilities, skills, and behaviors.
- Keep in mind your skills, experience, and past achievements that highlight your ability to do the job. Use the STAR method to answer interview questions.
- Be authentic and let your personality show!
Employee Interview Reviews
According to Glassdoor, 84% of Delta interviewees applied online, 8% received employee referrals, and 3% went through campus recruiting. In addition, 75% of past interviewees reported a positive interviewing experience, and only 9% had a negative experience. Interview difficulty is reported as average (3 out of 5). The hiring process at Delta takes about 40 days.
If you’re wondering what to wear to your interview, Indeed reviews indicate that 48% of interviewees choose a business casual dress code, while 47% follow a formal dress code.
Some of the most often reported interview process steps at Delta include on-site interviews (79%), drug tests (76%), background checks (73%), and phone call screenings (58%).
>>MORE: Already landed an interview? Learn how to prep for all kinds of common interview questions!
Takeaways
- Delta Air Lines is one of the oldest operating airlines, offering domestic and international flights to around 200 million passengers annually.
- The airline has opportunities for students and graduates, including internships, co-op programs, MBA programs, and rotational programs.
- Delta’s employees get space-available pass travel privileges anywhere the company flies.
- Delta leads initiatives in community engagement, sustainability, and diversity and inclusion.
- 75% of past interviewees had a positive interview experience at Delta Air Lines.
Check out what it’s like to work at top U.S. companies and learn about other student opportunities with Forage’s company guides.
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