Southwest Airlines 401(k) match, vesting and fees
What Southwest Airlines' 401(k) plan says about matching contributions
Plan features
Match, vesting and enrollment details have not been published from this plan's audit report yet. The figures below come from the structured filing.
| Recordkeeper | Empower Annuity Insurance Company | Schedule C ↗ |
| Independent auditor | Cbiz Cpas P.C. (unmodified opinion) | Schedule H ↗ |
| Plan type and status | 401(k) · Active | Form 5500 ↗ |
How the plan compares
Plan year 2025 medians for 40 defined-contribution plans with 50,000 or more participants.
| Southwest Airlines: employer contribution per participant | $5,409 | |
| Peer median | $2,694 |
| Southwest Airlines: average balance | $218,187 | |
| Peer median | $150,340 |
| Southwest Airlines: admin expenses ÷ assets | 0.02% | |
| Peer median | 0.03% |
Admin expenses are the plan's reported administrative expenses divided by its assets; they do not include fund expense ratios.
Plan history
Plan assets went from $9.6B at the end of plan year 2021 to $18.9B at the end of plan year 2025.
| Plan year | Participants | Assets | Employer contributions | Per participant | Admin expense ratio | Match formula | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 87,150 | $18.9B | $468M | $5,409 | 0.02% | Not published | Form 5500 ↗ |
| 2024 | 85,685 | $17B | $482M | $5,646 | 0.03% | Not published | Form 5500 ↗ |
| 2023 | 76,035 | $9.9B | $326M | $4,330 | 0.03% | Not published | Form 5500 ↗ |
| 2022 | 67,933 | $8B | $294M | $4,372 | <0.01% | Not published | Form 5500 ↗ |
| 2021 | 57,539 | $9.6B | $252M | $4,469 | <0.01% | Not published | Form 5500 ↗ |
Other Southwest Airlines plans (3)
Each plan files its own Form 5500. Figures are from each plan's latest filing.
Southwest Airlines Pilots Retirement Savings Plan
Plan features
Match, vesting and enrollment details have not been published from this plan's audit report yet. The figures below come from the structured filing.
| Recordkeeper | Schwab Retirement Plan Services,inc | Schedule C ↗ |
| Independent auditor | Weaver and Tidwell,l.L.P. (unmodified opinion, limited scope) | Schedule H ↗ |
| Plan type and status | 401(k) · Active | Form 5500 ↗ |
Southwest Airlines Market-Based Cash Balance Plan
Plan features
Match, vesting and enrollment details have not been published from this plan's audit report yet. The figures below come from the structured filing.
| Independent auditor | Cbiz Cpas P.C. (unmodified opinion, limited scope) | Schedule H ↗ |
| Plan type and status | Pension (defined benefit) · Active | Form 5500 ↗ |
Southwest Airlines Co. Profitsharing Plan
Plan features
Match, vesting and enrollment details have not been published from this plan's audit report yet. The figures below come from the structured filing.
| Recordkeeper | Empower Annuity Insurance Company | Schedule C ↗ |
| Independent auditor | Cbiz Cpas P.C. (unmodified opinion) | Schedule H ↗ |
| Plan type and status | Profit-sharing · Terminated (final filing) | Form 5500 ↗ |
Common questions
Does Southwest Airlines match 401(k) contributions?
The match terms for the Southwest Airlines Co. Retirement Savings Plan have not been published from its filing yet. The plan year 2025 filing reports $468M in employer contributions, about $5,409 per participant. That total includes any match and profit-sharing; it is not a match formula.
When is the Southwest Airlines 401(k) match vested?
The vesting schedule for the Southwest Airlines Co. Retirement Savings Plan is not in the data published so far. Your Summary Plan Description states it.
Who manages the Southwest Airlines 401(k)?
The recordkeeper listed on Schedule C of the plan year 2025 filing is Empower Annuity Insurance Company. The plan administrator is Southwest Airlines Co. Retirement Savings Plan Committee.
I left Southwest Airlines. How do I find my old 401(k)?
Your account stays in the plan until you move it. Contact the plan administrator (Southwest Airlines Co. Retirement Savings Plan Committee, (214) 792-4000) or the recordkeeper, Empower Annuity Insurance Company. The Southwest Airlines old 401(k) page lists the contacts from every plan filing. Find an old Southwest Airlines 401(k)
Data from the public Form 5500 annual reports Southwest Airlines filed with the U.S. Department of Labor (plan years 2021 and 2022 and 2023 and 2024 and 2025) and, where noted, the attached independent auditor's report. Plan terms may have changed since the filing; check your current Summary Plan Description. PlanFacts is not affiliated with Southwest Airlines. Not financial advice. Report a correction · Methodology