CISOs and principal cybersecurity engineers top the 2026 pay charts: CISOs commonly command base salaries of roughly $220,000 to $420,000 and total compensation that often reaches $420,000 to $500,000 or more, while principal engineers typically earn base pay around $160,000 to $208,000 with total packages frequently above $225,000. They stand out because CISOs carry organization-wide accountability and executive pay premiums, while principal engineers earn top dollars for deep, hands-on technical problem solving; beginners can start toward these lanes with structured, affordable training such as Nucamp’s 15-week Cybersecurity Fundamentals Bootcamp, which costs about $2,124 and prepares students for entry-level roles. READ MORE
Trump calls for capping executive pay at defense contractors
President Donald Trump put defense contractors on notice today. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said his administration is capping executive compensation at $5 million and prohibiting companies from doing stock buybacks and paying out dividends to shareholders.
President Trump signed an executive order Wednesday evening putting these restrictions in place at a policy level. READ MORE
Build Better Pay-for-Performance (PFP) Compensation Plans
High performers are attracted to organizations that use pay-for-performance — but this model can also have downsides. Consider these strategies to improve your system. READ MORE
Compensation For AI Employees Is Skyrocketing
Over the past decade, compensation for artificial intelligence (AI) professionals has surged at an unprecedented pace, reshaping the talent market and redefining what employers must offer to attract and retain top-tier technical talent. As companies across nearly every sector race to integrate machine learning, automation, and generative AI into their operations, the demand for skilled AI engineers, researchers, and product leaders has vastly outstripped supply. The result is a compensation environment that is not only highly competitive, but increasingly aggressive. READ MORE
Millions of workers score a raise as new minimum wage laws kick in
A pay raise has arrived for millions of American workers..
On Jan. 1, minimum wage rates climbed in 19 states and 49 cities and counties across the US.
That’s good news for many Americans struggling to make ends meet as prices on everything from groceries to electric bills continue to climb. READ MORE
Trump's EEOC Chair Suggests White Men Face Job Bias, Deserve Compensation
The Trump administration is facing backlash after the head of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) suggested white men are the true victims of workplace discrimination and should seek compensation under civil rights laws.
In a video posted to X earlier this month, EEOC Chair Andrea R. Lucas, a Trump appointee, addressed white men directly, saying they may have a claim to compensation due to workplace discrimination.
“Are you a white male who has experienced discrimination at work based on your race and sex?” Lucas asked. “You may have a claim to recover money under civil rights laws.” READ MORE
OpenAI's employee compensation dwarfs every major tech IPO of the past 25 years
OpenAI's financial model reflects the intense pressure to retain the people driving its breakthroughs. The company's willingness to spend aggressively on equity has redefined what competitive pay looks like in artificial intelligence – and raised the stakes for every firm vying to shape the field's future.
Internal financial disclosures show that OpenAI is distributing more equity per employee than any major technology startup on record. Its stock-based compensation – averaging roughly $1.5 million per worker across a staff of about 4,000 – far exceeds the benchmarks set by historical peers, according to data the company shared with investors. READ MORE
Long Commutes Widen Gender Wage Gap
In the early hours of a weekday morning, millions of American workers embark on their daily commutes, a ritual that shapes not just their days but their careers and family lives. For mothers, this journey often carries an outsized cost, exacerbating the gender wage gap in ways that extend far beyond simple pay disparities. Recent research highlights how longer travel times disproportionately hinder women’s professional advancement, particularly after childbirth, forcing tough choices between family responsibilities and career opportunities. As remote work options fluctuate in a post-pandemic world, the commute emerges as a critical factor in understanding why women, especially mothers, continue to earn less than their male counterparts. READ MORE
CEO and Executive Compensation Practices in the Russell 3000 and S&P 500
CEO and executive compensation—covering the CEO and other NEOs—is disclosed annually by US public companies in proxy statements. Reported figures reflect “total compensation” which, as defined by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), records the grant-date fair value or accounting expense value of pay packages rather than realized income. Since much of CEO pay takes the form of equity awards whose value depends on stock performance and other corporate metrics, these disclosures do not indicate what executives ultimately take home.
Against this backdrop, the data provide critical insight into how boards respond to market conditions, design incentives, and benchmark against peers. Year-over-year shifts signal changes in award levels, which largely reflect stock market cycles, competitive labor dynamics, and investor expectations. READ MORE
Inside OpenAI's $1.5 million compensation packages
OpenAI is paying its employees at levels that have little precedent in Silicon Valley history — $1.5 million in stock-based compensation per employee in 2025. That’s according to financial projections shared with investors and first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Such compensation dwarfs what earlier generations of tech giants paid their workforces before going public. Adjusted for inflation, OpenAI's equity payouts are multiples above the norm for large tech firms over the past two decades, and even several times higher than what Alphabet or Meta disclosed ahead of their IPOs. READ MORE
Millions of workers will get a raise soon as new minimum wage laws kick in
A pay raise is on the way for millions of American workers next year.
On Jan. 1, minimum wage rates will climb in 19 states and 49 cities and counties across the US. READ MORE
How HR leaders tackled compensation chaos this year
From pay transparency mandates to economic anxiety, 2025 tested HR leaders’ ability to navigate compensation in a year marked by uncertainty. Tech giants shuffled their value, employees demanded faster access to earned wages and global forces from AI to tariffs complicated every pay decision. These stories captured the toughest compensation conversations and the strategies that helped HR leaders address them. READ MORE
OpenAI Is Prepared to Pay Someone $555,000 — Plus Equity — for This ‘Stressful Job’
OpenAI is offering more than half a million dollars in salary to fill what could be one of the most stressful jobs in tech — a new Head of Preparedness tasked with anticipating the ways powerful AI systems could go wrong.
In a post on X on Saturday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman advertised the position, which he called a “critical role at an important time” as well as a “stressful job.” The role reflects how seriously the company takes the potential for harm from its own technologies. READ MORE
New York State Minimum Wage and Exempt Salary Updates for 2026
As we approach the new year, New York employers should be aware of increases to the state exempt status salary thresholds and minimum wage that will take effect on January 1, 2026.
Exempt Salary Threshold Increases
Under New York State wage law, employees working in an executive or administrative capacity must receive a minimum weekly salary (as well as meet certain duties requirements) to be exempt from the state’s overtime pay requirements. Beginning January 1, 2026, the thresholds for these exemptions will be as follows: READ MORE
The Salary Needed To Live in America’s 10 Most Expensive Cities
From coast to coast, America’s most expensive ZIP codes share the same DNA: ocean-adjacent settings, luxury homes, and deep-pocketed buyers.
These markets are dominated by multimillion-dollar estates, with a significant share commanding eight-figure prices. READ MORE
10 Most Dangerous Jobs in America — Are They Worth the Paycheck?
Work can break your back — in some cases, literally and figuratively. Resume Genius ranked the 10 most hazardous U.S. jobs in 2025 by fatality rates and salaries, and GOBankingRates analyzed whether the reward outweighs the danger.
Here’s a look at whether or not the high paychecks for these dangerous jobs are worth the risk. READ MORE
How To Align Executive Compensation With Strong Governance: Seven Recommendations
A well-designed compensation system is an essential pillar of corporate governance. Not only can it attract and retain top talent, but it can also create structures that effectively incentivize performance and alignment with strategic objectives. But its impact goes even further: An effective compensation system also strengthens trust and transparency in management, contributing to the company's sustainability and long-term value creation.
In times when corporate trust is built or lost around these principles, the way companies define and manage executive compensation reflects their corporate culture and values. It's a tangible expression of the organization's strategic priorities. READ MORE
What Trump’s crackdown on proxy advisors could mean for executive compensation
The Trump administration is seeking to weaken the power of proxy advisors that play a major role in shaping corporate governance issues, including compensation.
In a Dec. 11 executive order, President Donald Trump called for increased oversight of the proxy advisor industry, arguing that these organizations have used their power to advance shareholder proposals related to issues like DEI and ESG, rather than prioritize investor returns. READ MORE
Elon Musk's net worth hits record $749B after legal win restores massive Tesla compensation
Elon Musk just got richer. The Tesla CEO saw his net worth rise to $749 billion after the Delaware Supreme Court on Friday overturned a lower court ruling that had invalidated his 2018 Tesla compensation package, according to Forbes.
The decision effectively restored a pay package now estimated to be worth approximately $139 billion, up from its original valuation of around $56 billion due to Tesla stock appreciation. READ MORE
Employees Are Accepting Lower Salaries Just so They Can WFH—Would You?
I consider myself to be one of the lucky ones. You know, one of those people who somehow dodged the return-to-office mandate and still works from home every day of the week. I’m not being dramatic when I say that nothing, and I mean nothing, could get me to go back into an office on a daily basis. However, I had a moment this week, after watching Tinx’s viral TikTok video, when I asked myself, “Would I go back if the price was right?” After considering a few shiny salary amounts, the answer was still a hot, fiery no. But, as it turns out, not everyone feels that way. Even my husband thought I was certifiably insane. READ MORE