His base salary of roughly US$845,000 represents only a small portion of his overall package. Most of it comes through stock awards and performance-related compensation.
Southwest Airlines CEO Salary
As a result, CEO compensation in aviation is heavily performance-linked, often volatile, and sometimes controversial.
Below is a closer look at Bob Jordan, his professional background, and his salary package as of 2025.
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian’s fixed base salary is roughly US$991,000 per year, which forms just a small portion of his overall pay package.
United Airlines’ executive pay structure is performance-based and heavily tied to shareholder return, profitability, and long-term growth.
Southwest Airlines is reshaping its business model after a tough year of morale dips and investor pressure, signaling a move toward premium offerings and deeper structural change in 2025.
In 2024, United Airlines (UA) CEO Scott Kirby emerged as the highest-paid airline executive among major US carriers, with a total compensation of $33.9 million.
Southwest Airlines announces the retirement of CFO Tammy Romo and CAO Linda Rutherford, marking the end of a transformative era.
Dallas-based Southwest Airlines (WN) is one of the most popular and largest low-cost airlines in the world and is headed by CEO Bob Jordan.