Here's how much CEOs at Amazon, McDonald's, and 13 other lucrative brands earn compared to the typic

Publish date: 2024-04-28

CEOs made 20 times their median employee's salary in 1965. As of 2016, at America's largest companies, that multiple has jumped up to a shocking 271.

And, at many companies, the CEO-to-worker compensation ratio is even higher. The CEO of McDonald's earned 3,101 times the median worker in 2017 (21,761,052 versus $7,017). That's partially because McDonald's employs workers all over the world, where the cost of living is often lower than the US.

But another reason for the jump in CEO compensation is a new perspective on how company earnings should be distributed. For the past few decades, as The New York Times reported, the majority of corporate profits have been going to corporate investors and chief executives, whose compensation is often based on stocks, or foreign mergers and acquisitions.

When American Airlines announced last year they would be giving raises to pilots and flight attendants, the company's stock tanked by 5.2% in one day.

Here are 15 major employers and how their CEO's salary compares to their global median employee, ranked from the smallest difference to the biggest:

Twitter: CEO earned 0 times the average worker

Number of employees: 3,372

CEO compensation: $0

Median worker compensation: $161,860

Read Twitter's executive compensation report

Alphabet: CEO earned 0.000005 times the average worker

Number of employees: 80,110

CEO compensation: $

Median worker compensation: $197,274

Read Alphabet's executive compensation report

Amazon: CEO earned 59 times the average worker

Number of employees: 566,000

CEO compensation: $1,681,840

Median worker compensation: $28,446

Read Amazon's executive compensation report

Kraft Heinz: CEO earned 91 times the average worker

Number of employees: 39,000

CEO compensation: $4,194,179

Median worker compensation: $46,006

Read Kraft Heinz's executive compensation report

Netflix: CEO earned 133 times the average worker

Number of employees: 4,855

CEO compensation: $

Median worker compensation: $

Read Netflix's executive compensation report

Microsoft: CEO earned 154 times the average worker

Number of employees: 131,000

CEO compensation:

Median worker compensation:

Read Microsoft's executive compensation report

Intel: CEO earned 211 times the average worker

Number of employees: 102,700

CEO compensation:21,544,700

Median worker compensation:102,100

Read Intel's executive compensation report

Caterpillar: CEO earned 213 times the average worker

Number of employees: 98,400

CEO compensation:4,035,209

Median worker compensation:65,770

Read Caterpillar's executive compensation report

JPMorgan Chase: CEO earned 364 times the average worker

Number of employees: 252,539

CEO compensation:28,320,175

Median worker compensation:77,799

Read JPMorgan Chase's executive compensation report

Johnson & Johnson: CEO earned 452 times the average worker

Number of employees: 134,000

CEO compensation: $29,802,564

Median worker compensation: $66,000

Read Johnson & Johnson's executive compensation report

Marathon Petroleum: CEO earned 935 times the average worker

Number of employees: 44,000

CEO compensation: $19,670,807

Median worker compensation (including part-time retail associates): $21,034

Read Marathon's executive compensation report

Skechers: CEO earned 1,512 times the average worker

Number of employees: 24,599

CEO compensation:

Median worker compensation (including part-time retail associates):

Read Skechers' executive compensation report

Estée Lauder: CEO earned 1,690 times the average worker

Number of employees: 77,600

CEO compensation:48,753,819

Median worker compensation:28,845

The median worker at is a retail associate located outside of the US.

Read executive compensation report

McDonald's: CEO earned 3,101 times the average worker

Number of employees: 235,000

CEO compensation:21,761,052

Median worker compensation:7,017

The median worker at McDonald's is a part-time restaurant crew employee located in Poland.

Read McDonald's executive compensation report

Mattel: CEO earned 4,987 times the average worker

Number of employees: 35,280

CEO compensation:

Median worker compensation:6,271

The median worker at Mattel works at the company's Malaysian manufacturing facility, where "pay and wage rates are dramatically lower."

Read Mattel's executive compensation report

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Here's how much CEOs at Amazon, McDonald's, and 13 other lucrative brands earn compared to the typic