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.
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.
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.
