Australian CEOs' median pay jumps 16% to $4.8m in 2025, highest in 12 years

Chief executives of Australia's 100 largest companies saw their median realized pay jump 16% to $4.8 million in the 2025 financial year, according to an analysis by the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI).

This figure represents the highest median pay recorded over the 12 years ACSI has conducted these calculations. Two Australian-based CEOs, Macquarie's Shemara Wikramanayake and Goodman's Greg Goodman, reported realized pay exceeding $30 million, a situation not seen in the previous year. The average pay for incumbent CEOs also rose significantly, reaching $6 million.

Despite the substantial increases at the top, ACSI found that the gap between CEO earnings and those of ordinary workers remained consistent with the previous year. Chief executives earned 55 times the average Australian adult's weekly full-time earnings as of May 2025. However, with average earnings having slowed since then, this gap may have widened.

While fixed pay for the top 100 companies saw a more modest increase of 4% to a median of $1.83 million, bonuses played a significant role in the overall compensation. The median ASX100 CEO received 70.7% of their maximum bonus, with only five CEOs missing out on their bonus payments. Additionally, nine CEOs received termination payments averaging $2.2 million each.

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Australian investors were doing a good job at keeping a lid on executive pay.