How Many Minutes Does It Take a CEO To Earn Your Annual Salary?
It's not exactly surprising to anyone that CEO salaries are utterly outrageous. When you try to comprehend just how hard you work only to earn such a tiny fraction of their compensation, it's more than a little galling. However, the simple reality is that America's biggest companies place a lot of stock in who is in charge — literally.
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But how do you really wrap your head around just how much the highest-paid people in America are getting for their work? To illustrate this, GOBankingRates has broken down the pay of the 49 highest-compensated CEOs from S&P 500 companies in terms of just how long it takes them to earn what you do in an entire year. Using figures on total CEO compensation in 2019 from the AFL-CIO, the study looks at the average salary for Americans -- rich and poor -- to see just how little time a CEO logs to match your salary.
So which CEOs earn in minutes what you do in a year? Here's a look at the country's biggest paydays -- from lowest to highest -- compared to how much the rest of us are making.
Last updated: May 21, 2021
Wait, Where's Jeff Bezos?
If you just clicked through to get to the end to see how quickly the world's richest man makes your salary, you will notice that he's not on this list. Neither is Warren Buffett. Or Mark Zuckerberg. Or even Tim Cook, even though you might have recently seen in the news that he just passed a net worth of $1 billion.
So what gives? The reason the world's richest men aren't among the highest paid is actually an important part of understanding why CEOs get paid so much. It's not so much what they're getting paid as how. Top CEOs earn most of their money in the form of stock, and the tippy-top CEOs are basically working for free because they own a big chunk of the place where they work. Jeff Bezos has never even brought in six figures from Amazon for a year of work. But, since he's the founder and still owns a little over one-tenth of the company, his total net worth skyrockets precisely as fast as the company's stock. His "pay" winds up being a rounding error, essentially.
So, a CEO's salary never really reflects the unique form of turbo-charged 401(k) benefits they receive. Did Sundar Pichai earn a little over $280 million in 2019? Or about $2 million plus benefits? It matters because — while you're dealing with profoundly smaller numbers than they are — stock ownership and equity stakes are as essential to building your wealth in the long run as they are to the highest-paid people in America. And if you get enough of the right stocks? Your annual salary might also wind up being largely irrelevant to your financial standing.
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How Much Do Americans Earn?
Of course, just how outrageous the pay of America's top CEOs is depends on how much you're making. Here's a look at how incomes in America vary depending on what end of the spectrum you land on:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: $13,593
The U.S. median income: $62,416
The U.S. top 20% income: $227,663
The U.S. top 5% income: $413,188
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48. Alfred Kelly Jr.: Visa Inc.
2019 pay: $24,265,771
2019 pay per minute: $46.17
How long it takes Alfred Kelly Jr. to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 4 hours and 54 minutes
The U.S. median income: 22 hours and 31 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 3 days, 10 hours and 11 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 6 days, 5 hours and 9 minutes
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47. Laurence Fink: BlackRock Inc.
2019 pay: $24,308,254
2019 pay per minute: $46.25
How long it takes Laurence Fink to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 4 hours and 53 minutes
The U.S. median income: 22 hours and 29 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 3 days, 10 hours and 2 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 6 days, 4 hours and 54 minutes
46. Alan Miller: Universal Health Services Inc.
2019 pay: $24,473,240
2019 pay per minute: $46.56
How long it takes Alan Miller to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 4 hours and 51 minutes
The U.S. median income: 22 hours and 20 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 3 days, 9 hours and 29 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 6 days, 3 hours and 53 minutes
45. James Cracchiolo: Ameriprise Financial Inc.
2019 pay: $24,516,930
2019 pay per minute: $46.65
How long it takes James Cracchiolo to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 4 hours and 51 minutes
The U.S. median income: 22 hours and 18 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 3 days, 9 hours and 20 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 6 days, 3 hours and 38 minutes
44. H. Culp Jr.: General Electric Company
2019 pay: $24,553,788
2019 pay per minute: $46.72
How long it takes H. Culp Jr. to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 4 hours and 50 minutes
The U.S. median income: 22 hours and 16 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 3 days, 9 hours and 13 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 6 days, 3 hours and 24 minutes
43. David Solomon: The Goldman Sachs Group Inc.
2019 pay: $24,657,737
2019 pay per minute: $46.91
How long it takes David Solomon to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 4 hours and 49 minutes
The U.S. median income: 22 hours and 10 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 3 days, 8 hours and 52 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 6 days, 2 hours and 47 minutes
42. Sheldon Adelson: Las Vegas Sands Corp.
2019 pay: $24,680,118
2019 pay per minute: $46.96
How long it takes Sheldon Adelson to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 4 hours and 49 minutes
The U.S. median income: 22 hours and 9 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 3 days, 8 hours and 48 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 6 days, 2 hours and 39 minutes
41. Norman 'Tom' Linebarger: Cummins Inc.
2019 pay: $25,116,751
2019 pay per minute: $47.79
How long it takes Norman 'Tom' Linebarger to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 4 hours and 44 minutes
The U.S. median income: 21 hours and 46 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 3 days, 7 hours and 24 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 6 days and 6 minutes
40. Alex Gorsky: Johnson & Johnson
2019 pay: $25,365,777
2019 pay per minute: $48.26
How long it takes Alex Gorsky to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 4 hours and 41 minutes
The U.S. median income: 21 hours and 33 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 3 days, 6 hours and 37 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 5 days, 22 hours and 41 minutes
39. Michael Corbat: Citigroup Inc.
2019 pay: $25,508,761
2019 pay per minute: $48.53
How long it takes Michael Corbat to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 4 hours and 40 minutes
The U.S. median income: 21 hours and 26 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 3 days, 6 hours and 10 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 5 days, 21 hours and 53 minutes
38. Daniel Schulman: PayPal Holdings Inc.
2019 pay: $25,825,473
2019 pay per minute: $49.14
How long it takes Daniel Schulman to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 4 hours and 36 minutes
The U.S. median income: 21 hours and 10 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 3 days, 5 hours and 13 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 5 days, 20 hours and 9 minutes
37. Charles Robbins: Cisco Systems Inc.
2019 pay: $25,829,833
2019 pay per minute: $49.14
How long it takes Charles Robbins to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 4 hours and 36 minutes
The U.S. median income: 21 hours and 10 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 3 days, 5 hours and 12 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 5 days, 20 hours and 7 minutes
36. Marc Benioff: Salesforce.com Inc.
2019 pay: $25,969,494
2019 pay per minute: $49.41
How long it takes Marc Benioff to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 4 hours and 35 minutes
The U.S. median income: 21 hours and 3 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 3 days, 4 hours and 47 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 5 days, 19 hours and 22 minutes
35. Brian Moynihan: Bank of America Corp.
2019 pay: $26,039,213
2019 pay per minute: $49.54
How long it takes Brian Moynihan to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 4 hours and 34 minutes
The U.S. median income: 20 hours and 59 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 3 days, 4 hours and 35 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 5 days and 19 hours
34. Michael Neidorff: Centene Corp.
2019 pay: $26,438,425
2019 pay per minute: $50.30
How long it takes Michael Neidorff to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 4 hours and 30 minutes
The U.S. median income: 20 hours and 40 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 3 days, 3 hours and 25 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 5 days, 16 hours and 54 minutes
33. Samuel Hazen: HCA Healthcare Inc.
2019 pay: $26,788,251
2019 pay per minute: $50.97
How long it takes Samuel Hazen to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 4 hours and 26 minutes
The U.S. median income: 20 hours and 24 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 3 days, 2 hours and 26 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 5 days, 15 hours and 6 minutes
32. Jeffery Yabuki: Fiserv Inc.
2019 pay: $27,601,026
2019 pay per minute: $52.51
How long it takes Jeffery Yabuki to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 4 hours and 18 minutes
The U.S. median income: 19 hours and 48 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 3 days and 15 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 5 days, 11 hours and 8 minutes
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31. Kenneth Frazier: Merck & Co. Inc.
2019 pay: $27,648,475
2019 pay per minute: $52.60
How long it takes Kenneth Frazier to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 4 hours and 18 minutes
The U.S. median income: 19 hours and 46 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 3 days and 7 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 5 days, 10 hours and 54 minutes
30. Gary Norcross: Fidelity National Information Services Inc.
2019 pay: $27,658,117
2019 pay per minute: $52.62
How long it takes Gary Norcross to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 4 hours and 18 minutes
The U.S. median income: 19 hours and 46 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 3 days and 6 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 5 days, 10 hours and 52 minutes
29. John Legere: T-Mobile US Inc.
2019 pay: $27,756,690
2019 pay per minute: $52.81
How long it takes John Legere to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 4 hours and 17 minutes
The U.S. median income: 19 hours and 41 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 2 days, 23 hours and 51 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 5 days, 10 hours and 24 minutes
28. Miles White: Abbott Laboratories
2019 pay: $27,802,817
2019 pay per minute: $52.90
How long it takes Miles White to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 4 hours and 16 minutes
The U.S. median income: 19 hours and 39 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 2 days, 23 hours and 43 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 5 days, 10 hours and 11 minutes
27. Thomas Fanning: The Southern Company
2019 pay: $27,865,185
2019 pay per minute: $53.02
How long it takes Thomas Fanning to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 4 hours and 16 minutes
The U.S. median income: 19 hours and 37 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 2 days, 23 hours and 34 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 5 days, 9 hours and 53 minutes
26. Joseph Gorder: Valero Energy Corp.
2019 pay: $28,200,511
2019 pay per minute: $53.65
How long it takes Joseph Gorder to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 4 hours and 13 minutes
The U.S. median income: 19 hours and 23 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 2 days, 22 hours and 43 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 5 days, 8 hours and 20 minutes
25. William Brown: L3Harris Technologies Inc.
2019 pay: $29,037,879
2019 pay per minute: $55.25
How long it takes William Brown to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 4 hours and 6 minutes
The U.S. median income: 18 hours and 49 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 2 days, 20 hours and 40 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 5 days, 4 hours and 38 minutes
24. Daniel O'Day: Gilead Sciences Inc.
2019 pay: $29,107,854
2019 pay per minute: $55.38
How long it takes Daniel O'Day to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 4 hours and 5 minutes
The U.S. median income: 18 hours and 47 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 2 days, 20 hours and 30 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 5 days, 4 hours and 20 minutes
23. Robert Kotick: Activision Blizzard Inc.
2019 pay: $30,122,896
2019 pay per minute: $57.31
How long it takes Robert Kotick to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 3 hours and 57 minutes
The U.S. median income: 18 hours and 9 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 2 days, 18 hours and 12 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 5 days and 9 minutes
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22. Ryan Lance: ConocoPhillips
2019 pay: $30,363,744
2019 pay per minute: $57.77
How long it takes Ryan Lance to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 3 hours and 55 minutes
The U.S. median income: 18 hours
The U.S. top 20% income: 2 days, 17 hours and 40 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 4 days, 23 hours and 12 minutes
21. Hamid Moghadam: Prologis Inc.
2019 pay: $30,383,438
2019 pay per minute: $57.81
How long it takes Hamid Moghadam to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 3 hours and 55 minutes
The U.S. median income: 17 hours and 59 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 2 days, 17 hours and 38 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 4 days, 23 hours and 7 minutes
20. Marillyn Hewson: Lockheed Martin Corp.
2019 pay: $30,913,982
2019 pay per minute: $58.82
How long it takes Marillyn Hewson to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 3 hours and 51 minutes
The U.S. median income: 17 hours and 41 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 2 days, 16 hours and 30 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 4 days, 21 hours and 5 minutes
19. James Dimon: JPMorgan Chase & Co.
2019 pay: $31,612,616
2019 pay per minute: $60.15
How long it takes James Dimon to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 3 hours and 46 minutes
The U.S. median income: 17 hours and 17 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 2 days, 15 hours and 5 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 4 days, 18 hours and 29 minutes
18. James Gorman: Morgan Stanley
2019 pay: $31,642,395
2019 pay per minute: $60.20
How long it takes James Gorman to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 3 hours and 45 minutes
The U.S. median income: 17 hours and 16 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 2 days, 15 hours and 1 minute
The U.S. top 5% income: 4 days, 18 hours and 23 minutes
17. Greg Garland: Phillips 66
2019 pay: $31,900,878
2019 pay per minute: $60.69
How long it takes Greg Garland to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 3 hours and 43 minutes
The U.S. median income: 17 hours and 8 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 2 days, 14 hours and 30 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 4 days, 17 hours and 27 minutes
16. Randall Stephenson: AT&T Inc.
2019 pay: $32,032,925
2019 pay per minute: $60.95
How long it takes Randall Stephenson to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 3 hours and 43 minutes
The U.S. median income: 17 hours and 4 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 2 days, 14 hours and 15 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 4 days, 16 hours and 59 minutes
15. Michael Wirth: Chevron Corp.
2019 pay: $33,070,662
2019 pay per minute: $62.92
How long it takes Michael Wirth to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 3 hours and 36 minutes
The U.S. median income: 16 hours and 31 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 2 days, 12 hours and 18 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 4 days, 13 hours and 26 minutes
14. Charles Scharf: Wells Fargo & Co.
2019 pay: $34,286,574
2019 pay per minute: $65.23
How long it takes Charles Scharf to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 3 hours and 28 minutes
The U.S. median income: 15 hours and 56 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 2 days, 10 hours and 9 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 4 days, 9 hours and 34 minutes
13. D. James Umpleby III: Caterpillar Inc.
2019 pay: $34,519,129
2019 pay per minute: $65.68
How long it takes D. James Umpleby III to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 3 hours and 26 minutes
The U.S. median income: 15 hours and 50 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 2 days, 9 hours and 46 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 4 days, 8 hours and 51 minutes
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12. Brian Roberts: Comcast Corp.
2019 pay: $36,370,183
2019 pay per minute: $69.20
How long it takes Brian Roberts to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 3 hours and 16 minutes
The U.S. median income: 15 hours and 1 minute
The U.S. top 20% income: 2 days, 6 hours and 50 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 4 days, 3 hours and 31 minutes
11. Larry Merlo: CVS Health Corp.
2019 pay: $36,451,749
2019 pay per minute: $69.35
How long it takes Larry Merlo to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 3 hours and 15 minutes
The U.S. median income: 14 hours and 59 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 2 days, 6 hours and 42 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 4 days, 3 hours and 17 minutes
10. Reed Hastings: Netflix Inc.
2019 pay: $38,577,129
2019 pay per minute: $73.40
How long it takes Reed Hastings to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 3 hours and 5 minutes
The U.S. median income: 14 hours and 10 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 2 days, 3 hours and 41 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 3 days, 21 hours and 49 minutes
9. Shantanu Narayen: Adobe Inc.
2019 pay: $39,145,631
2019 pay per minute: $74.48
How long it takes Shantanu Narayen to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 3 hours and 2 minutes
The U.S. median income: 13 hours and 58 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 2 days, 2 hours and 56 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 3 days, 20 hours and 27 minutes
8. William McDermott: ServiceNow Inc.
2019 pay: $41,682,335
2019 pay per minute: $79.30
How long it takes William McDermott to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 2 hours and 51 minutes
The U.S. median income: 13 hours and 7 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 1 day, 23 hours and 50 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 3 days, 14 hours and 50 minutes
7. Lachlan Murdoch: Fox Corp.
2019 pay: $42,111,103
2019 pay per minute: $80.12
How long it takes Lachlan Murdoch to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 2 hours and 49 minutes
The U.S. median income: 12 hours and 59 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 1 day, 23 hours and 21 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 3 days, 13 hours and 57 minutes
6. Satya Nadella: Microsoft Corp.
2019 pay: $42,910,215
2019 pay per minute: $81.64
How long it takes Satya Nadella to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 2 hours and 46 minutes
The U.S. median income: 12 hours and 44 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 1 day, 22 hours and 28 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 3 days, 12 hours and 21 minutes
5. Miguel Patricio: The Kraft Heinz Co.
2019 pay: $43,297,480
2019 pay per minute: $82.38
How long it takes Miguel Patricio to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 2 hours and 45 minutes
The U.S. median income: 12 hours and 37 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 1 day, 22 hours and 3 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 3 days, 11 hours and 35 minutes
4. David Zaslav: Discovery Inc.
2019 pay: $45,843,912
2019 pay per minute: $87.22
How long it takes David Zaslav to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 2 hours and 35 minutes
The U.S. median income: 11 hours and 55 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 1 day, 19 hours and 30 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 3 days, 6 hours and 57 minutes
3. Lisa Su: Advanced Micro Devices Inc.
2019 pay: $58,534,288
2019 pay per minute: $111.37
How long it takes Lisa Su to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 2 hours and 2 minutes
The U.S. median income: 9 hours and 20 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 1 day, 10 hours and 4 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 2 days, 13 hours and 50 minutes
2. Robert Swan: Intel Corp.
2019 pay: $66,935,100
2019 pay per minute: $127.35
How long it takes Robert Swan to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 1 hour and 46 minutes
The U.S. median income: 8 hours and 10 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 1 day, 5 hours and 47 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 2 days, 6 hours and 4 minutes
1. Sundar Pichai: Alphabet Inc.
2019 pay: $280,621,552
2019 pay per minute: $533.91
How long it takes Sundar Pichai to make:
The U.S. bottom 20% income: 25 minutes
The U.S. median income: 1 hour and 56 minutes
The U.S. top 20% income: 7 hours and 6 minutes
The U.S. top 5% income: 12 hours and 53 minutes
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Photo disclaimer: In cases where CEO photos were unavailable, company images and logos were used for representational purposes.
Methodology: GOBankingRates used AFL-CIO’s Highest-Paid CEOs 2019 data to determine how many minutes it takes a CEO to earn your annual salary, sourcing the 49 top-earning S&P 500 CEOS. With these 49 CEOs sourced, GOBankingRates then found how many minutes it would take each CEO to make the five mean household income quintiles and top 5% mean household income as sourced from the 2018 American Community Survey as conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. All data was collected on and up to date as of Aug. 17, 2020.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Many Minutes Does It Take a CEO To Earn Your Annual Salary?