Average CEO Pay in the United States

19 Responses to “Average CEO Pay in the United States”

1. platypusrex256 on November 6th, 2011 at 4:04 pm #

   honestly… if a ceo thinks that a cool way to run a business, that’s his problem.

   its only our problem when the ceo loses shareholder profits and asks the taxpaer to fill the gap.

   here is an example of something fucked up in wallstreet: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15574954
2. dunster on November 6th, 2011 at 4:51 pm #

   just curious what people think they correct ratio would be?
   • Geronimo on November 6th, 2011 at 7:34 pm #

     Less than that.
     • Lou mccauley on November 6th, 2011 at 7:47 pm #

       http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2JlxbKtBkGM

       SEE ENCLOSED YOU TUBE ON BIG BANKS
     • anonymous-observer on November 6th, 2011 at 8:29 pm #

       Right On! Absolutely Less Than THAT!! This specific topic is why the Occupy movement is meaningful to me and provides me with hope that ridiculous golden parachutes for CEO’s will one day no longer exist.

       Even Wall Street itself is sometimes outraged by the pay some of the ‘not worthy’ CEOs get paid:

       ”
       Based on how well the companies they run performed for shareholders, several CEOs are clearly not worth their pay.

       Read more: America’s Most Overpaid CEOs – 24/7 Wall St. http://247wallst.com/2011/10/20/america%e2%80%99s-most-overpaid-ceos/#ixzz1cykFvu6v“
3. bernz on November 6th, 2011 at 8:13 pm #

   I assume that this infographic refers to the CEO pay of S&P 500 companies vs. average worker wage. Without citing the source of this number, it’s fairly meaningless.

   I assume, from research, that this particular stat comes from the AFL-CIO report (which refers to the “CEOs” in question being from S&P 500 companies only). The average CEO is a CEO of a small business and their small business likely has revenues <$1M/year. Their salary cannot be that much higher than that of their workers.

   I support the ideas behind Occupy, but factual reporting without hyperbole is important. Please cite sources in the future.
   • Paul, Boston MA on November 7th, 2011 at 10:30 am #

     See below.
4. Paul, Boston MA on November 7th, 2011 at 9:58 am #

   http://www.faireconomy.org/news/ceo_pay_charts

   The problem is that when you start saying that worker’s salaries should keep up in some realistic fashion with CEO pay, in today’s polarized dialogues, you’re called a dirty, stinking, commie socialist.

   But I don’t think anyone in their right minds can look at the graphs at the above link and not realize that something is seriously broken. The question is, is it broken beyond repair?
   • bernz on November 7th, 2011 at 10:43 am #

     Or more importantly, what system is broken? Is higher-ed broken? Government? Finance? We point to these outside systems. Maybe it’s US who are broken. Maybe its the things we desire and expect. Maybe our cultures are broken and everything else is just a reflection of that.
     • Paul, Boston MA on November 7th, 2011 at 11:11 am #

       I desire and expect fairness and justice.
       • Honest Question on November 7th, 2011 at 12:32 pm #

         was it ‘ok’ in 1990 at 107 to 1?
         • Geronimo on November 7th, 2011 at 1:09 pm #

           No, probably not. Not as an average. Are we going somewhere with this?
         • Accountability on November 7th, 2011 at 1:48 pm #

           What is an ‘ok’ multiple for a CEO to be paid?
           Are there rules about that sort of thing in Communist China? oh wait
         • No One on November 7th, 2011 at 4:37 pm #

           @Accountability: I don’t know about China, but there are rules about that sort of thing in Germany which, as it turns out, is one of the most successful economies in the world right now and, excepting their massive censorship around violence and anything Nazi-related, is actually a pretty respectable country when it comes to human rights and social safety nets.

           So how about rather than knee-jerking and blockading ideas we all open up and debate the issues in a reasonable manner?
         • Geronimo on November 7th, 2011 at 5:21 pm #

           Spoken. But I think some ears are deaf to reason and logic.
         • Accountability on November 7th, 2011 at 5:33 pm #

           Reason and logic have no place in politics.
           /sarcasm

           But seriously- ‘some ears are deaf to reason and logic ‘ is comical coming from anyone extreme LEFT or right

           How Germany or china handle their economies can be helpful from 20 thousand foot view- but to ask the US to take an entire play book on economics from either is not ‘reasonable’.

           If OWS can’t work with the system to make changes, OWS will fail to deliver the change that is needed for this economy to rebuild and prosper for all working classes.
           Change happens on Capitol hill and the white house- the same place all effective social rallies wind up eventually.

           The system is far to intricate to just wipe a clean slate and start new- and many of the masses OWS hopes to drag along at the GAs are too scared to say boo because they value their jobs and fear the very change that OWS represents.
           Present sound changes through the right channels- and those masses not only listen- but they vote on those changes.
         • Geronimo on November 7th, 2011 at 7:29 pm #

           A bit of / sarcasm myself. Hadn’t meant you really but the debate needs to be open and honest. I think this goes beyond left and right. It’s about right and wrong. No slight intended @anonobserver
     • Joshua Eaton on November 7th, 2011 at 12:35 pm #

       I don’t expect to win the game, but I do expect to play a game that isn’t rigged. Otherwise, why even play to win?
5. dunster on November 7th, 2011 at 9:12 pm #

   i wouldnt care if they got paid way more as long as they were held personally liable if the company did something shady under their watch. if someone is responsible and oversees 1000s of workers maybe he/she should get paid a bit more. perhaps this its the fact that they make a lot even when they do a crappy job that is so annoying.