Delta announces $1.3B employee profit payout; pay raises planned for 2026

Delta Air Lines is distributing $1.3 billion to employees worldwide as part of its annual profit-sharing program, with Georgia-based workers receiving the largest portion of the payout.

The airline’s 2025 profit-sharing distribution represents 8.9% of eligible employees’ annual earnings or more than four weeks of additional pay on average.

The company traditionally issues the payments on Valentine’s Day, a date Delta has marked as Profit Sharing Day since 2007.

Georgia employees, many of whom are based at Delta’s Atlanta headquarters and operations at Hartsfield-Jackson, will receive an estimated $567.9 million. The state is home to about 43,500 Delta employees, the largest concentration of the airline’s workforce.

Other major domestic payouts include:

  • New York: $171.1 million (13,500 employees)
  • Minnesota: $113.7 million (8,900 employees)
  • Michigan: $112 million (8,100 employees)
  • California: $84 million (6,000 employees)
  • Utah: $77 million (6,300 employees)
  • Washington: $75.5 million (4,700 employees)
  • Florida: $30.3 million (4,300 employees)
  • Massachusetts: $28.7 million (3,600 employees)
  • Texas: $12.2 million (1,800 employees)

Internationally, employees in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India and other regions (EMEAI) will receive $4.7 million collectively, while workers in Asia-Pacific will receive $4.5 million. Employees in Latin America will receive $1.7 million, and those in Canada, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Bermuda will receive $1.6 million.

Delta says the $1.3 billion payout ranks among the five largest in company history. Since 2015, the airline has paid more than $11 billion in profit sharing to employees.

Under the company’s profit-sharing formula, employees receive 10% of the first $2.5 billion the airline earns and 20% of profits above that amount.

Company leadership also announced that employees are expected to receive a pay increase in 2026, with additional details to be released later.