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Record CEO Pay Ratio Hits 285-to-1 as Trump Tax Cuts Poised to Widen Disparity

AFL-CIO warns that Trump’s July tax law will boost CEO after-tax pay far more than workers’

Commuters wait to board a red line train at the Metro Center metro station in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, April 17, 2025.
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Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol was paid far more than the typical worker at the company.
A protester holds a sign reading "eat the rich, feed the poor" during a press conference and rally in support of fair taxation near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on April 10, 2025.

Overview

  • Median S&P 500 CEO compensation rose 7% to $18.9 million in 2024, compared with a 3% median wage increase for private-sector workers.
  • The disparity grew to 285-to-1 in 2024, up from 268-to-1 the previous year and far exceeding the roughly 20-to-1 gap of the 1960s.
  • Under the July 4 tax and spending law, CEOs are slated to receive an average $490,000 in extra tax savings versus $765 for the typical worker.
  • Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol’s nearly $98 million package created the widest in-company gap—6,666-to-1—while Axon Enterprise’s Patrick Smith led all S&P 500 executives with $165 million in earnings.
  • Labor leaders are calling to maintain or strengthen SEC disclosure rules and enact policy measures to rein in executive pay.