Delta employees have $1.3 billion reasons to smile after the Atlanta based carrier announced its annual profit sharing for employees. The company has handed out profit sharing bonuses since 2007 in an effort to reward employees for their role in the success of the carrier.
Delta Employees to Receive 8.9% of Base Pay in Profit Sharing for 2025
2025 was a good year for Delta Air Lines. The company just released its full year financials for 2025 and the Atlanta based carrier brought in roughly $5 billion in profit. By sharing $1.3 billion of that profit with its employees, Delta is giving away approximately 30% of its profits.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian said this about the carrier’s financial performance in 2025:
“The Delta team delivered a strong close to our Centennial year, demonstrating the differentiation and durability we’ve built. Our industry-leading performance delivered for our customers and our employees, while creating value for our owners, consistent with our long-term financial framework. We generated $5 billion of pre-tax profit with a double-digit operating margin and record free cash flow of $4.6 billion, all while navigating a challenging environment. These results would not be possible without the exceptional efforts of our people, and I look forward to celebrating our team next month with $1.3 billion of well-earned profit sharing.”
Each year on Valentines Day, otherwise known as Profit Sharing Day, Delta hands out profit sharing checks to its employees. This year, by handing out 8.9% of base pay per employee, Delta will be handing out roughly four weeks pay as a bonus. Depending on your position this could range anywhere from a few thousand dollars for frontline employees to tens of thousands of dollars for senior crewmembers.
Is Profit Sharing the Key to Delta’s Success
While we see some profit sharing at other U.S. carriers, Delta’s profit share is by far the largest. For reference, American Airlines employees received roughly 1% profit sharing last year. One can’t help bust assume that this significant profit sharing motivates and incentivizes employees to go above and beyond for passengers.
Being based in Austin, Delta is the carrier that I fly more than any other. Maybe I’m biased as I interact with Delta employees more than employees from other carriers but, they always seem to have better attitudes and are more willing to go above and beyond. (Southwest does this as well but I worry that the direction the airline is headed is slowly going to kill this off).
I would assume that these employees are more engaged as they have a direct financial incentive to make the Delta experience the best that it can be. It’s clear that Delta passengers appreciate the carriers premium positioning and are willing to pay for it. As long as employees keep making passengers feel welcome and appreciated, I see significant profit sharing numbers continuing in the years ahead.
Summary
It was a great year for Delta which saw the Atlanta based carrier rake in roughly $5 billion in profits. To celebrate that achievement, Delta is sharing $1.3 billion, or roughly 30%, of profits with its employees. This equates to approximately four weeks of additional pay for each eligible team member.