How Much Did U.S. Airline CEOs Make in 2024?

Reports from major United States airlines provide data showing the compensation of their CEOs in relation to that of their employees.

Airlines report these figures as part of annual proxy statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

American

In 2024, the total compensation for American Airlines CEO Robert Isom was $15,610,843, while the median compensation for an employee was $81,744. This results in an estimated pay ratio of 191-to-1.

During the prior year, Isom made $31,438,162 while the median employee salary was $67,788.

The proxy statement for American notes that this ratio may be difficult to compare with those of other airlines. Factors that make the comparison complex include the airline’s large workforce, the extent of its route network, and its ownership of three regional airlines.

Delta

For Delta, CEO Ed Bastian’s compensation was $27,117,069, and median employee compensation was $105,269. This boils down to a ratio of 258-to-1.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian speaks at CES 2023 in Las Vegas (Photo: Delta Air Lines)

In 2023, Bastian made $34,214,328, and the median employee salary was $101,947.

United

United CEO Scott Kirby’s total compensation was $33,924,988, with a median employee compensation of $89,197, resulting in an estimated pay ratio of 380-to-1.

Kirby made $18,573,299 in 2023 with median employee compensation at $81,050.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby addresses members of the Houston business community at an event showcasing the Terminal B transformation project on Thursday, November 30, 2023 (Photo: AirlineGeeks | Andrew Chen)

Southwest

Southwest CEO Bob Jordan’s total compensation was $10,562,384, and median employee compensation was $91,442. The resulting CEO pay ratio is 115.5-to-1.

In 2023, Jordan earned $9,307,298, and median employee compensation was reported at $89,699.

The reports indicate that a variety of methodologies are used to calculate these figures, which can affect the comparability of the ratios among airlines.

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