CEO Pay Trends: A Post-Proxy Season Recap

The 2026 proxy season has officially come to a close, as companies have finished filing their annual proxy statements (DEF 14A) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These disclosures provide a detailed view into executive compensation programs and workforce pay dynamics across the U.S.

This analysis examines fiscal year 2025 proxy statements filed by Equilar 500 companies—the largest U.S. public companies by revenue—to identify emerging trends in executive compensation. By tracking data from 2021 through 2025, the study provides a multi-year perspective on how CEO pay has evolved relative to median employee compensation and explores ongoing developments in gender pay equity among top executives. READ MORE

S&P 500 CEO Compensation Growth Slows to Lowest Rate Since 2022

The upward trajectory of CEO compensation moderated in 2025 amid ongoing economic uncertainty. The median total compensation* for S&P 500 chief executives reached $17.7 million in 2025, representing a 5.9% increase from the previous year. While pay continues to climb, this single-digit uptick marks the smallest annual growth rate since 2022, when median pay grew by just 0.9%. Last year’s study recorded a 9.7% increase, in line with the typical annual change in CEO compensation.

For the 16th year, Equilar and the Associated Press have partnered to analyze CEO compensation across the S&P 500. This annual study tracks pay trends for CEOs who have led their companies for at least two consecutive fiscal years. To be included in the 2026 study, companies must have filed their proxy statements between January 1 and April 30, 2026 READ MORE

Incentive Pay, Stock Awards Drive Double-Digit Jump In Bank CEO Compensation

CEO pay across the banking sector climbed sharply in 2024, with nearly every chief executive in a new Compensation Advisory Partners analysis receiving higher total compensation than the year before, as boards rewarded stronger earnings, rebounding bonuses and improved shareholder returns following the regional banking turmoil of 2023.

Compensation Advisory Partners examined pay at 54 large and regional banks and found all but four CEOs received increases in total direct compensation in 2024. Among regional banks with between $10 billion and $50 billion in assets, average CEO pay jumped 24.1%, nearly double the increase seen at larger institutions, according to CAP data cited by American Banker. READ MORE