The Economic Policy Institute says CEOs at the nation's 350 largest firms earned an average of nearly $28 million in 2025, up 14% from the previous year.
That's 325 times what a typical worker earned.
The findings come as attention remains focused on the widening gap between America's highest earners and everyone else. While the Forbes 400 measures personal wealth rather than CEO compensation, both reports underscore the growing financial divide at the top.
RELATED STORY | Elon Musk tops Forbes’ list of wealthiest Americans. See who else made the cut
For the fifth year in a row, Elon Musk held the top spot on Forbes' annual list of the wealthiest Americans, with a net worth of $908 billion. Musk's fortune exceeds that of second-place Jeff Bezos by more than $500 billion, with Bezos' net worth estimated at $378 billion.
The Economic Policy Institute says the divide between executives and workers has grown dramatically over time.
In 1965, CEOs made about 21 times as much as a typical worker.
Since 1978, CEO compensation has jumped more than 1,300%, while compensation for typical workers has increased just 28%.
In a separate report, EPI argues that wages for typical workers have lagged productivity growth for decades.
Researchers estimate that if pay had kept pace with productivity, the typical worker would be earning roughly $30,000 more per year.
