Compensation Report: AP Releases Data on CEO Pay

We decided to launch the compensation report, so that aspiring MBAs could follow both short and long term trends in this area, helping candidates understand one of the important variables in choosing a future career path. One trend that seems to be causing increasing consternation in the media, but shows no sign of abetting in Corporate America, is CEO pay.  The Associated Press reports that in 2007, despite the economic downturn, pay among Fortune 500 CEOs rose by $280,000, reaching an average of $8.4 million dollars per year – an increase of 3.5% over 2006. It is noteworthy that three of the top-10 pay packages belonged to CEOs from the financial industry, a contrast to the massive layoffs and declining pay expectations of those in the field.