CEOs at Low-Wage S&P 500 Firms Earn 615 Times More Than Workers, Report Finds
A new report reveals that CEOs at S&P 500 companies with the lowest median worker pay now earn 615 times more than their employees, a significant increase from previous years.
Chief executives at S&P 500 companies with the lowest median worker pay are earning substantially more than their employees, according to a new report by the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS). The "Executive Excess" report analyzed the 100 S&P 500 corporations identified as having the lowest median employee wages.
The gap between CEO and worker compensation has widened considerably. Between 2019 and 2025, average CEO compensation in this group rose by 41.4%, while the average median worker pay increased by only 20.7%. In 2025, the average CEO compensation reached $17.5 million, with median worker pay at $36,571.
The report highlights that CEO compensation growth has outpaced inflation, which stood at 25.9% during the same period, indicating a decline in the real wages for these workers. IPS also criticizes the companies' extensive stock buyback programs, arguing that billions spent on repurchasing shares could instead be used for employee wage increases.
Furthermore, the report points out the silence from these corporate leaders regarding challenges faced by their low-wage workforce. This includes significant cuts to public assistance programs like Medicaid and SNAP, as well as immigration enforcement actions that have impacted employees. According to IPS, company executives have not publicly spoken out against these issues, despite many workers relying on such benefits and facing increased scrutiny.