Silent Majority
Across all CEOs in our survey, median 2017 cash compensation (base salary and bonus) was $321,022—91.6 percent of the total compensation package—and the “at risk” portion (i.e., bonuses and incentives) was $71,022 or 28.4 percent of their base salary.
For this year’s median survey participant, this represented no increase in either their salary or bonus vs. the prior year. Meanwhile, top-quartile CEOs enjoyed increases in both their base salaries and bonuses—3.25 percent and 5.50 percent respectively.
The vast majority of CEOs in the study did not record any equity appreciation over the past year, nor did they receive any new in-the-money options or equity grants.
Median base salaries in 2018 were flat with the prior year overall, but median bonuses are expected to increase to $90,000, for an overall cash compensation increase of 5.9 percent.
Not bad. But not Bezos, either.