C-Level Executive Comp 2027
C-suite compensation comprises 30% base, 30% short-term bonus, 40% long-term equity (PSUs/RSUs/options). This benchmarks total package by company size and role.
| Base salary | — |
| Target bonus | — |
| Equity (annual grant) | — |
| Comp mix | — |
| Total compensation | — |
| Industry median | — |
C-suite total compensation = base + short-term incentive (annual bonus) + long-term incentive (equity, often 50-60% of total). Median CEO pay at S&P 500 hit $16.3M in 2023 (Equilar). Compensation scales steeply with company revenue and market cap.
Comp Mix Evolution
Startup-stage: 70% base, 30% equity. Mid-stage: 50/20/30. Late-stage/public: 25/30/45. The mix shifts heavily toward equity as company grows and exit becomes likely.
Equity Vehicle Choice
Public companies use Performance Stock Units (PSUs, vest on performance metrics), Restricted Stock Units (RSUs, time-based), and stock options. Private companies use mostly options (cheap) + late-stage RSUs.
Say-on-Pay Disclosure
Public companies must disclose CEO + top 5 executives in proxy (DEF 14A). Annual shareholder say-on-pay vote (advisory, but boards listen). ISS + Glass Lewis rate compensation alignment.
Negotiation Components Often Missed
Sign-on bonus (compensating lost equity from prior employer). Make-whole equity (replace forfeited unvested). Tax gross-ups (rare since 2008 but happens). Outplacement post-termination. Indemnification + D&O.
Last updated May 2026. Sources: Equilar Top 200 CEO Pay, SEC DEF 14A.