economy
CEOs earn 614 times more than workers at US’s 100 lowest-paying corporations
Analysis by Institute for Policy Studies found that between 2019 and 2025, CEO compensation increased 41.4%
TL;DR
- CEOs at the 100 largest, lowest-paying US corporations earned 614 times more than their average workers last year.
- Between 2019 and 2025, CEO compensation at these firms increased 41.4%, compared to a 20.7% rise in median worker pay.
- Inflation rose by 25.9% during the same period, outpacing worker pay increases.
- The average CEO compensation was $17.5 million, while median worker pay was $36,571 in 2025.
- Many of these low-wage corporations are linked to billionaires and employ registered federal lobbyists.
- These firms spent $718 billion on stock buybacks between 2019 and 2025.
- Walmart spent $8.1 billion on stock buybacks in 2025, while its CEO received $29.2 million in compensation.
- Proposed policy solutions include taxing corporations with high CEO-to-worker pay ratios and increasing taxes on stock buybacks.