America’s chief executives are getting paid more than ever.
A report from the Economic Policy Institute found that CEO pay at the top 350 companies rose 14% in 2025 to an average of $28 million.
That means CEOs now make roughly 325 times as much as a typical worker. In 1965, CEOs were paid just 21 times the average worker’s salary.
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The report said that from 1978–2025, top CEO compensation skyrocketed 1,316% while typical workers’ compensation increased only 28%.
"CEO pay has not climbed so fast because their skills or productivity rose spectacularly. It has risen instead simply because CEOs have gained and used increasing leverage over the corporate boards that set their pay," the report says.
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