Chief executive officers (CEOs) famously make the big bucks, particularly if they’re spearheading a large corporation. The highest-paid CEOS, like Brad Jacobs of QXO, Inc. and Peter Gassner of Veeva Systems Inc. make close to $200 million, respectively, per year. That’s quite extreme and not at all common, but the pay gap between many CEOs of S&P 500 companies and their employees is astonishing.
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Research from the American Federation of Labor & Congress dug into the data and found that in 2024, the average CEO-to-worker pay ratio for S&P 500 companies was 285-to-1. It’s highly worth noting that the median annual pay for U.S. employees in 2025 is $62,192 and that the median worker pay for all of these jobs is below — in some cases drastically — that number.
10. Carrier Global Corp
- CEO: David Gitlin
- Median worker pay: $51,001
- Pay ratio between CEO and median worker: 1,289:1
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9. Carnival Corp
- CEO: Josh Weinstein
- Median worker pay: $16,854
- Pay ratio between CEO and median worker: 1,398:1
8. Yum! Brands Inc
- CEO: David Gibbs
- Median worker pay: $17,160
- Pay ratio between CEO and median worker: 1,440:1
7. TJX Cos Inc
- CEO: Ernie Herman
- Median worker pay: $15,002
- Pay ratio between CEO and median worker: 1,565:1
6. Western Digital Corp
- CEO: David Goeckeler
- Median worker pay: $10,726
- Pay ratio between CEO and median worker: 1,649:1
5. Ross Stores Inc
- CEO: James G. Conroy
- Median worker pay: $9,602
- Pay ratio between CEO and median worker: 1,770:1
4. Coca-Cola Co
- CEO: James Quincey
- Median worker pay: $14,144
- Pay ratio between CEO and median worker: 1,980:1
3. ON Semiconductor Corp
- CEO: Hassane El-Khoury
- Median worker pay: $15,580
- Pay ratio between CEO and median worker: 1,998:1
2. Aptiv PLC
- CEO: Kevin Clark
- Median worker pay: $9,052
- Pay ratio between CEO and median worker: 2,072:1
1. Starbucks Corp
- CEO: Brian Niccol
- Median worker pay: $14,674
- Pay ratio between CEO and median worker: 6,666:1
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: The Difference Between CEO and Employee Pay at 10 S&P 500 Companies
