Figure C
CEOs make 276 times more than typical workers: CEO-to-worker compensation ratio, 1965–2015
| Year | CEO-to-worker compensation ratio |
|---|---|
| 1965/01/01 | 20.0 |
| 1966/01/01 | 21.2 |
| 1967/01/01 | 22.4 |
| 1968/01/01 | 23.7 |
| 1969/01/01 | 23.4 |
| 1970/01/01 | 23.2 |
| 1971/01/01 | 22.9 |
| 1972/01/01 | 22.6 |
| 1973/01/01 | 22.3 |
| 1974/01/01 | 23.7 |
| 1975/01/01 | 25.1 |
| 1976/01/01 | 26.6 |
| 1977/01/01 | 28.2 |
| 1978/01/01 | 29.9 |
| 1979/01/01 | 31.8 |
| 1980/01/01 | 33.8 |
| 1981/01/01 | 35.9 |
| 1982/01/01 | 38.2 |
| 1983/01/01 | 40.6 |
| 1984/01/01 | 43.2 |
| 1985/01/01 | 45.9 |
| 1986/01/01 | 48.9 |
| 1987/01/01 | 51.9 |
| 1988/01/01 | 55.2 |
| 1989/01/01 | 58.7 |
| 1990/01/01 | 71.2 |
| 1991/01/01 | 86.2 |
| 1992/01/01 | 104.4 |
| 1993/01/01 | 111.8 |
| 1994/01/01 | 87.3 |
| 1995/01/01 | 122.6 |
| 1996/01/01 | 153.8 |
| 1997/01/01 | 233.0 |
| 1998/01/01 | 321.8 |
| 1999/01/01 | 286.7 |
| 2000/01/01 | 376.1 |
| 2001/01/01 | 214.2 |
| 2002/01/01 | 188.5 |
| 2003/01/01 | 227.5 |
| 2004/01/01 | 256.6 |
| 2005/01/01 | 308.0 |
| 2006/01/01 | 341.4 |
| 2007/01/01 | 345.3 |
| 2008/01/01 | 239.3 |
| 2009/01/01 | 195.8 |
| 2010/01/01 | 229.7 |
| 2011/01/01 | 235.5 |
| 2012/01/01 | 285.3 |
| 2013/01/01 | 303.1 |
| 2014/01/01 | 301.9 |
| 2015/01/01 | 275.6 |
Note: CEO annual compensation is computed using the “options realized” compensation series, which includes salary, bonus, restricted stock grants, options exercised, and long-term incentive payouts for CEOs at the top 350 U.S. firms ranked by sales. Typical worker compensation refers to annual compensation of the workers in the key industries of the firms in the sample.
Source: Adapted from Figure C in Lawrence Mishel and Jessica Schieder, Stock market headwinds meant less generous year for some CEOs, Economic Policy Institute Report, July 12, 2016
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