Kids' questions / Business
👔 How much does a company president/CEO make?
The U.S. median CEO wage is $213,990 a year; half earn more, half less. A 2025 top-company CEO package reached $132.3 billion, mostly long-term stock awards—not ordinary cash salary.
Company size and performance-based pay create big gaps; long-term stock awards can make a few top CEO packages soar.
US Most people, typical, the top
| Who | Yearly earnings | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Typical employed chief executive (median) | $213,990 | BLS May 2025 median wage |
| The biggest reported CEO pay package Elon Musk (~$132.3B in 2025; long-term stock award) | $132.3B | Equilar/AP 2025 CEO pay study; total package including stock awards |
Per month and per day
| Who | Per month | Per day (÷365) |
|---|---|---|
| Typical employed chief executive (median) | $17,833 | $586 |
| The biggest reported CEO pay package | $11.03B | $362.47M |
Where does the money come from?
- Base salary: Base salary is the regular yearly cash pay for the CEO’s role. Source
- Cash bonus: A cash bonus may rise or fall depending on whether yearly goals are met. Source
- Stock and options: Pay may include company shares or options to buy shares, often with conditions. Source
- Benefits and perks: Benefits and other perks may also be counted as part of a CEO’s compensation. Source
What famous company presidents/CEO make
| Who | Amount |
|---|---|
| 🚀 Elon Musk CEO of Tesla | $929B (2026 · net worth) Musk is ranked the world's richest in 2026, worth about $929B (Forbes list: $839B); Tesla's new plan could pay up to $1T in stock. |
| 💼 Tim Cook CEO of Apple | $74.29M (2025) Apple CEO Tim Cook's total pay, including stock, is about $74.29 million a year. |
| 💼 Mark Zuckerberg CEO of Meta | $25.1M (2025) Meta CEO Zuckerberg takes a $1 salary, but total pay is about $25.1 million a year; his 2026 net worth is $222 billion. |
| 💼 Jensen Huang President & CEO of NVIDIA | $36.34M (2026) NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang's pay is about $36.34 million a year, and his wealth is estimated at about $154 billion in 2026. |
| 💼 Sundar Pichai CEO of Google (Alphabet) | $10.91M (2025) Google CEO Sundar Pichai was paid about $10.91 million in a year, but a new 2026 deal could give him stock worth up to $692 million. |
| 💼 Satya Nadella Chairman and CEO of Microsoft | $96.5M (2025) Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's pay, including stock, is about $96.5 million a year. |
| 💼 Andy Jassy CEO of Amazon | $2.07M (2025) Amazon CEO Andy Jassy's pay is about $2.07 million a year. |
| 📈 Warren Buffett Chairman & CEO of Berkshire Hathaway | $100,000 (2025) Warren Buffett's salary is just $100,000 a year with no bonus or stock, yet his wealth is estimated at about $149 billion in 2026. |
| 💼 Bernard Arnault Chairman and CEO of LVMH (France) | $171B (2026 · net worth) Bernard Arnault and his family are estimated to be worth about $171 billion in 2026. |
| Jane Fraser | $95.8M (2025) Estimate 2025 compensation package (about) (Source) |
How do you become a company president/CEO?
In the United States, a common route is to earn a bachelor's degree in business or a field related to the industry, then build years of experience. Move into management, lead teams and budgets, and work toward being selected as CEO.
- Earn a bachelor's degree in a related field.
- Work in the industry and build management experience.
- Move into management and work toward a CEO role.
A day as a company president/CEO
A U.S. CEO may meet with board members and staff to discuss problems, plans, and budgets. Later, the CEO may set priorities and share the next steps; evening or weekend work and travel can also come up.
Common questions
What can change a CEO’s base salary?
It can vary. Equilar says CEO base salary may depend on company size, industry, time in the role, and experience. Source
Are stock awards a big part of CEO pay?
In the 2025 S&P 500 CEO study, typical total compensation was $17.7 million and typical stock awards were $10.9 million. Stock awards were a major part of the package. Source
Can a CEO turn stock awards into cash right away?
Not always. Some shares or options can only be sold or received after a set time or after goals are met, and their future value can change. Source
How is a CEO’s bonus decided?
An annual bonus is often cash and can change depending on whether performance goals are met. Source
Do CEOs work evenings or weekends?
Yes, it can happen. The BLS says top executives may work evenings and weekends, and travel is common for chief executives. Source
This section summarizes public sources. We only show numbers that have a source.
Close jobs in official statistics
In Japan
Japan Most people, typical, the top
| Who | Yearly earnings | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Prime-listed company presidents (median) | $501,153 | 2025 executive pay survey; Prime-listed CEO median |
| Top executives at large Japan-listed companies Joseph DePinto (¥13.4B, FY2025; former Seven & i director and 7-Eleven U.S. CEO) | $5.35M–$89.33M | WTW top-10% threshold; highest FY2025 Japan-listed executive package |
Famous people
| Who | Amount |
|---|---|
| 💼 Akio Toyoda Chairman of Toyota | $12.99M (2025) Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda's pay was about ¥1.949 billion a year, according to company filings. |
| 💼 Masayoshi Son Chairman & CEO of SoftBank Group | $666,667 (2025) Son is officially paid about ¥100 million a year at SoftBank, but his wealth is estimated at $80 billion in 2026, Japan's richest. |
| 💼 Tadashi Yanai Chairman of Fast Retailing (Uniqlo) | $3.67M (2025) Uniqlo chairman Tadashi Yanai earns about ¥550 million a year in pay; his 2026 net worth is estimated at $65 billion. |
| 🎮 Shuntaro Furukawa Nintendo president | $2.12M (2026) Nintendo reported ¥318 million in Furukawa's FY2026 director pay; no reliable public net-worth figure is disclosed. |
| 💼 Rene Haas CEO of Arm Holdings | $32.69M (2025) Arm Holdings CEO Rene Haas is disclosed to earn about ¥4.9 billion a year, per company filings. |
| 💼 Noriyuki Inoue Honorary Chairman of Daikin Industries | $29.37M (2025) Daikin Industries' Honorary Chairman Noriyuki Inoue received about ¥4.4 billion in one year, including a ¥4.3 billion retirement payment. |
| 💼 Joseph Michael DePinto CEO of 7-Eleven Inc. | $28.99M (2025) 7-Eleven CEO Joseph DePinto's pay is about ¥4.349 billion a year, per official filings. |
| 💼 Nobutada Saji Chairman of Suntory Holdings | $10.5B (2025 · net worth) Suntory Holdings Chairman Nobutada Saji's wealth is estimated at about $10.5 billion in 2025. |
| 💼 Hidehisa Takahara President of Unicharm | $5.3B (2025 · net worth) Unicharm President Hidehisa Takahara is estimated to be worth about $5.3 billion in 2025. |
| 💼 Akira Mori Chairman of Mori Trust (real estate) | $4.7B (2025 · net worth) Mori Trust chairman Akira Mori's wealth is estimated at about $4.7 billion as of 2025. |
| 💼 Yasumitsu Shigeta Chairman of USEN-NEXT HOLDINGS | $6.9B (2025 · net worth) USEN-NEXT HOLDINGS Chairman Yasumitsu Shigeta's personal wealth is estimated at about $6.9 billion as of 2025. |
Related questions
Jobs in the same group
Data table and sources
- www.bls.gov/OOH/management/top-executives.htm
- www.equilar.com/reports/129-equilar-new-york-times-top-100-highest-paid-ceos-202
- www.deloitte.com/jp/ja/about/press-room/nr20251021.html
- www.wtwco.com/en-us/insights/2026/01/the-ceo-pay-landscape-in-japan-the-us-and-e
- www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h02867/foreign-executives-prominent-in-japan%E2%80%
- www.bls.gov/ooh/management/top-executives.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/11-1011.00
- www.equilar.com/knowledge-center
- www.equilar.com/reports/127-equilar-associated-press-ceo-pay-study-2026.html
- Average company president pay. Big companies (1,000+ staff) pay 67.71 million yen; small ones pay 32.95 million. (National Personnel Authority survey)
- Middle value for 1,345 listed-company executives whose pay (all over 100 million yen) is individually disclosed. (Tokyo Shoko Research)