Delta Air Lines announces fourth consecutive annual pay raise for employees

Delta Air Lines has announced a 4% salary increase for its employees, marking the fourth consecutive year the airline has increased pay since 2022. This follows a $1.4 billion profit-sharing bonus awarded to employees worldwide earlier this year. CEO Ed Bastian highlighted the wage increase during a leadership conference held in January 2025, attributing it to the strong demand for travel that helped solidify Delta's record financial performance.

Since the recent years, Delta has reportedly invested over 25% in salary compensations across its major frontline workforces, setting itself apart from global competitors. The company's compensation strategy emphasizes sharing success with its employees, notably through a profit-sharing initiative that has distributed more than $10 billion to staff over the last decade. This year, employees received an average of five additional weeks of pay through the profit-sharing program.

Delta maintains a commitment to the financial well-being of its staff, offering competitive base salaries, yearly salary increments, operational goal bonuses up to $100 monthly, free financial coaching, and significant contributions to retirement savings plans. This dedication to employee satisfaction has earned Delta a place on Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For list and the Just 100 list by JUST Capital and CNBC, which evaluates firms on issues pertinent to Americans, including fair pay and worker care.