Executive pay in public for-profit organizations can vary drastically depending on a variety of factors, including the organizational size and scope, as well as the industries in which they operate. However, unlike many other jobs, geography plays little role in compensation for top executives. Regardless, CEOs are typically (though not always) the highest-paid executives at many organizations.
For the purposes of this examination, base salary serves as the metric since it is predetermined and the most fixed among the various forms of executive compensation. Other pay, defined as excess benefits and perquisites greater than $10,000, is the second most common form of CEO compensation and is also included in the table below. Bonus, nonequity, stock, options, and pension are not included. Find out about top CEO total executive compensation in different industries, including the top 10 highest-paid CEOs in nonprofit health care and the top 10 highest-paid CEOs in tech.
The following is a summary of top CEO pay in retail industries. Industries are defined using the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system as indicated by the organization. This summary covers organizations that filed in any SIC from 52xx to 59xx. For every CEO, compensation is restricted to the organization’s primary SIC code to prevent duplicate entries.
| Company | Name | Title | Salary | Other Pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AbbVie Inc | Richard Gonzalez | Chairman of the Board and CEO | $1,688,462 | $22,319,129 |
| TJX Companies Inc | Ernie Herrman | CEO, President and Director | $1,600,001 | $17,222,769 |
| Starbucks Corp | Kevin Johnson | Director, CEO and President | $1,540,379 | $13,125,196 |
| Williams-Sonoma Inc | Laura Alber | Director, President and CEO | $1,500,743 | $22,632,783 |
| American Eagle Outfitters Inc | Jay Schottenstein | Executive Chairman of the Board and CEO | $1,500,000 | $13,284,288 |
| Lowe's Companies Inc | Marvin Ellison | Director, President and CEO | $1,450,000 | $21,625,881 |
| Target Corp | Brian Cornell | Chairman of the Board and CEO | $1,400,000 | $18,355,188 |
| Dollar General Corp | Todd Vasos | CEO and Director | $1,341,718 | $15,111,105 |
| The Kroger Co | W. Mcmullen | Chairman of the Board and CEO | $1,341,060 | $21,032,514 |
| AmerisourceBergen Corp | Steven Collis | Chairman of the Board, President and CEO | $1,325,000 | $1,325,000 |
Fiscal Year 2020; SIC: 52xx, 53xx, 54xx, 55xx, 56xx, 57xx, 58xx, 59xx
When taken on the whole, total compensation packages for the top executive employees vary considerably across organizations. This is due to a variety of complex factors that include market values, vesting time tables, and other variable-related compensation that are often difficult to compare. However, as can be seen, base salaries, though considerably large, tend to be more consistent.
