C-suite compensation has soared far beyond the wage growth for the average working person, with one particular tech CEO in the US standing out as the highest-paid. Despite expectations that Microsoft or Apple’s CEOs would top the list, it is actually Sundar Pichai of Alphabet/Google who takes the crown in 2022.
Pichai’s total compensation package for 2022 reached a staggering $226 million, with the majority of it coming in the form of stock valued at $218 million. This amount is more than 800 times the average worker’s salary within Alphabet. While his base salary is in the range of $6-8 million, the bulk of his earnings come from bonuses and stock options.
The pay ratio between Pichai and the average Alphabet employee in 2022 was 808:1, a significant increase from previous years. Other high-paid tech CEOs include Peloton’s Barry McCarthy, CrowdStrike’s George Kurtz, Oracle’s Safra Catz, and Apple’s Tim Cook. Interestingly, Cook requested a significant reduction in his earnings in 2023, while Pichai’s earnings continue to fluctuate based on stock performance.
Despite the immense earnings of these tech CEOs, there are instances where stock options and bonuses can greatly impact their actual earnings. It’s clear that executive compensation in the tech industry remains a topic of interest and scrutiny.