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.