What is the average salary in the US?

Familiar with the concept of salary transparency? It’s used to encourage more open conversations about what companies are paying their workers. Knowing about the average salary in the US could shed light on whether you’re being underpaid. It could also help you make more informed choices as you apply for new jobs or ask for a raise. Just know that earnings vary depending on age, sex, location, and education, among other factors. Here’s how much the average American makes. READ MORE

Companies see strong support for executive pay programs through June 30, 2026

Average support increased from just over 90% at this time last year to 91.8% as of June 30, 2026. The failure rate went down from 1.4% at this time last year to less than 1% this year. And proxy advisor Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) recommended against a lower percentage of proposals.

The trend toward higher levels of support might continue into the 2027 proxy season but the waning influence of proxy advisors may result in more uncertainty. It’s critical that companies stay up to date on changing investor voting policies and patterns and proactively engage with them to understand their priorities and concerns. READ MORE

SEC Compensation Recovery Rule: Restatements and Related Clawbacks, Quarterly Update

SEC Rule 10D-1 – often referred to as the compensation clawback rule — requires public companies to adopt policies to recover excess incentive compensation that was paid to current or former executives because it was based on metrics that were later restated. Created under the Dodd-Frank Act, the rule aims to reinforce accountability by requiring the recoupment of bonus or performance-based compensation tied to incorrect results, regardless of whether the error was caused by simple mistakes or misconduct. It applies to both material (“Big R”) and immaterial (“little r”) restatements.

The rule also adds disclosure requirements: companies have to flag on the cover page of their annual reports when the filing reflects corrections to past financial statements, explain whether and how they pursued recovery of excess compensation, and include their clawback policy as an exhibit to the annual report. READ MORE

Average CHRO pay is now $3.7M. Who are the top-paid?

CHRO responsibility has skyrocketed in recent years, and compensation trends underscore how organizations are increasingly viewing CHRO compensation through the lens of business performance.

A new study from Equilar on CHRO compensation at the largest U.S. public companies by revenue found the average pay package last year was $3.7 million, down from about $4.4 million in 2024. The value of stock awards, which was the largest component of pay, stayed about the same—at $2 million—which researchers say highlights that organizations are weighing CHRO contributions to business outcomes “heavily.” Meanwhile, cash bonuses decreased slightly from $896,256 to $864,610, and median base salaries also decreased from $694,167 to $674,688. READ MORE

Why Starbucks is changing its compensation model over bigger raises

According to ADP Research, nearly six in 10 workers would rather be paid on a weekly basis than every other week. Employees who received weekly pay reported higher engagement, feel more fairly compensated and are less likely to quit in search for greener pastures. Starbucks, it seems have caught onto this, for its new compensation model will reward all workers across the U.S.

On Monday, Starbucks announced its quarterly bonus program, rightly called “Best of Starbucks Reward,” of up to $300 along with weekly pay, expanded tipping and compensation based on attendance and performance metrics. Rather than rely solely on pay raises, Starbucks is slowly shifting towards a performance-driven compensation model that rewards excellence and consistency.  READ MORE

Private chef salaries reach $300,000 as the rich seek their own Michelin stars

Private chefs are making up to $300,000 a year, and butlers can earn as much as $180,000 as the wealthy hire more household staff to manage their increasingly complex lives, according to a new study.

Demand for chefs, personal assistants, butlers, nannies, housekeepers, chauffeurs and estate managers have reached records as the wealthy buy more homes in various locations and manage ever-growing families, according to a report from Morgan & Mallet International. The hiring boom has created a war for talent, driving up salaries and increasing job-hopping by household staff. READ MORE

Buc-ee’s is offering $275K salaries with no college degrees. The internet is split on whether that’s a good thing

Buc-ee’s holds the world record for the biggest convenience store and longest car wash – it might be time to add “most controversial $275,000 job” to the list.

The rest-stop chain, known for its massive convenience stores and cheeky highway billboards, is now the epicenter of an online debate over salaries. Not because they’re underpaying their employees, but, according to internet backlash, because they’re paying a big salary – $275,000 – for a job that doesn’t require a degree. READ MORE

Gen Z breaks ultimate taboo by posting salaries online

Gen Z is breaking one of the most deeply rooted social taboos by openly discussing salaries, spending limits and personal finances online.

The Wall Street Journal's Free Expression associate editor Mary Julia Koch joined FOX Business’ Ashley Webster on "Varney & Co." to discuss loud budgeting and why younger Americans are increasingly willing to make once-private financial conversations public. READ MORE

Employee Logs ‘61 Hours’ and Asks for Compensation—Manager’s Donut Offer Sparks Backlash

An Instagram post shared by @georgesternleadership has given rise to a conversation over workplace compensation and whether employers can expect salaried workers to consistently take on extra hours without additional support.

The clip was about workplace "red flags" and employee-manager dynamics and featured a text conversation between an employee and a manager about long workweeks and increased responsibilities. In it, the former asked for compensation. READ MORE

Finance salaries rise 6% amid talent crunch

The higher salaries reflect a more competitive market for finance talent. Sixty-one percent of survey respondents said they are experiencing either minor or significant shortages of finance and accounting talent, up from 46% who reported shortages in the prior year.

The shift is increasing pressure on CFOs and controllers to rethink how they attract and retain talent. READ MORE

Elon Musk Could Get a $165 Billion Payday, But There’s Just One Problem: Traders Say It’s Never Going to Happen

SpaceX’s executive compensation filing reads unlike anything in the history of SEC paperwork. The word “Mars” appears 63 times, including inside the formal executive compensation section, and the document contains a quote from Isaac Asimov. Reporters who reviewed it noted no real precedent in the history of executive compensation. The legal condition for CEO Elon Musk’s payday is a permanent human colony on Mars with at least 1 million inhabitants. READ MORE

The Evolution of Executive Compensation in Private Equity

For most of private equity’s modern history, executive compensation answered a single question: how do we keep this leadership team in place until we sell? Pay was built around a clean three to five year arc, with the bulk of the reward waiting at the finish line. That model assumed a predictable exit. Today, that assumption no longer holds.

Hold periods have stretched, capital markets have become more volatile, and sponsors are asking far more of the executives running their portfolio companies. As a result, the purpose of compensation has also changed to adapt. It is no longer a retention contract. It has become an engine for value creation, engineered to reward the specific behaviours that build a more valuable business: EBITDA quality, working capital discipline, pricing power, clean M&A integration, digital transformation, and exit readiness.. READ MORE

2 former partners sue Clifford Chance over alleged compensation clawbacks

Clifford Chance is facing a federal lawsuit from two former partners who allege that the law firm asked them to repay nearly $5.8 million in compensation after they left in January.

“This action relates to the firm’s efforts to claw back plaintiffs’ already-paid and already-earned compensation, pursuant to certain provisions of the [firm’s partnership] agreements, as punitive and anti-competitive measures in apparent response to plaintiffs’ withdrawal from the firm to join Sidley Austin,” said Clifford Cone and Michael Sabin said in their June 29 complaint. READ MORE

Average Income by Career Experience: How Salaries Change at Every Stage

At some point in your career, you'll likely wonder: Am I getting paid enough?

The answer depends on what other people in your role actually earn, and how experience shifts those numbers. Below, we break down median salaries for 150 of the most common professions by years of experience, from just starting a job to 20-plus years in. If your pay looks low, the next move is knowing how to check, document, and ask for more. READ MORE

Does Gen Z know their number?

What’s your number? This is the first question I ask when considering a new hire. I expect those I ask to know what it costs for them to live—not just to survive, but to thrive. I start with this question because it gives me a chance to understand a prospective employee’s expectations and needs, and to assess my ability to meet them.

Since 2018, I have worked with close to 2,000 high school students, providing them with paid summer work experience. Most had never considered their number before. I also mentor many young Gen Zers who are now finishing college and looking for their first full-time post-college job. One mentee, Sophia Castellanos—who just graduated from my alma mater, Claremont McKenna College—earned a degree in international relations. She asked if I might have any opportunities for her. READ MORE