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S&P 500 CEO Compensation Climbs to Record High with Half Earning at Least $17.1 Million

Generous stock awards propelled pay packages upward, expanding the gap with the $66,622 average U.S. worker salary.

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Overview

  • Half of the more than 400 S&P 500 CEOs who led their companies for at least a year earned $17.1 million or more in 2024, marking a record median package.
  • Axon Enterprise CEO Rick Smith topped the list with a $164.53 million compensation package driven largely by performance-based stock awards.
  • GE Aerospace’s Lawrence Culp Jr. and Blackstone’s Stephen Schwarzman ranked second and third with $88.95 million and $84.03 million respectively.
  • Eighteen executives saw their total compensation more than double from the previous year, reflecting expanded reliance on equity awards.
  • Average U.S. worker pay rose 2% to $66,622 in 2024, leaving CEOs earning roughly 290 times that level and highlighting a growing wage divide.