Delta Air Lines was named among the top American employers in three states by Forbes, in its seventh annual ranking of employers by State.   

Among the 1,417 companies named in the survey, Delta ranked No. 1 in Georgia, Michigan and Utah. The airline also finished No. 4 in New York and Massachusetts; and No. 8 in Minnesota. Delta tied with Costco as the only employer to rank No. 1 in three different states. 

Delta was tabbed as the No. 1 employer for the fourth year in a row in Georgia and second consecutive year in Michigan.  

As part of this year’s results, Delta and Allison Ausband, EVP and Chief People Officer, were one of two spotlighted companies:  

“Ausband, who is now Delta’s executive vice president and chief people officer, says that this supportive environment is a big part of what makes Delta special for both employees and customers. ‘It sounds very simple, but if you take care of your people, then they're going to take care of the customer.’

Another way Delta takes care of its employees is by offering them benefits including unlimited standby travel, profit sharing, training opportunities, top-notch healthcare benefits, family care and up to five weeks of paid vacation.” 

How Forbes determines America's Best Employers by State  

To create the list of the Best Employers by State - 2025, Forbes partnered with market research firm Statista to survey more than 160,000 employees working for companies with at least 500 people within the United States. Survey participants were asked how likely they were to recommend their employer on a scale of zero to 10. Respondents were also asked to evaluate employers they’d worked for within the past two years, and organizations they knew within their industry or personal connections. 

Responses—which were received from all 50 states and Washington, D.C.—were then tallied and incorporated into a scoring system, along with survey data from the past three years. Greater weight was given to current employees and the more recent data within the state. Companies with the highest scores in each state made the list.