Historical data has shown that the CEO is last in line to receive a salary increase. And not only that, but when it comes to major crises, the CEO position is the most likely to see an actual reduction in their base salary compared to other titles, as we saw during Covid.
New data from the just-released 2025–26 CEO & Senior Executive Compensation Report for Private U.S. Companies, shows that the CEO is still the least likely to see a salary increase in 2026. However, 2026 data reveals an interesting nuance: CEOs are the most likely to receive base salary increases of 5 percent or more in 2026, reversing a multi-year pattern where larger raises were concentrated in less senior positions.
The share of CEOs expecting any salary increase in 2026 climbed to 68 percent, up from 61 percent last year. That represents the highest figure in five years, only matched by 2024’s sharp rebound of 67.5 percent after a majority of CEOs saw no change to their base salary in 2022 and 2023. However, that figure remains well below the proportion of other employee types and titles who expect a raise in 2026. In comparison, 82 percent of other senior executives, 90 percent of mid-level managers, and 91 percent of frontline and back-office employees are anticipating an increase in 2026.
This continues a long-term pattern: CEOs are consistently the least likely to receive a raise of any employee type in the organization, even when pay is increasing across the board. On the bright side, 21 percent of companies project a base salary increase above 5 percent in 2026 for CEOs—the highest proportion of all titles.
CEOs Still Lag Behind Inflation
In 2025, the median base salary for private company CEOs increased just 2 percent, from $317,242 in 2024 to $323,500. This increase falls short of the inflation rate for 2025, currently standing at 2.9 percent, and doesn’t stack up to broader U.S. wage growth for private industry workers of 3.5 percent.
Despite the modest increase in 2025 and projections for 2026, the real value of CEO pay continues to erode. Adjusted for cumulative inflation since 2020, CEO base salaries remain effectively flat—falling well short of the 21 percent increase in consumer prices recorded over that same period.
By comparison, mid-level and frontline roles have enjoyed steadier wage growth in recent years likely driven by retention pressures and competitive labor markets. Between 2022 and 2026, the share of mid-level managers receiving a raise has consistently hovered between 85 and 95 percent, while the share of frontline and back-office employees who have received pay bumps each year hasn’t fallen below 90 percent over the same time period.
Executives other than the CEO have enjoyed far more consistent base salary gains. In 2026, 82 percent of senior executives expect to see a salary increase—roughly the same as last year—and nearly one in five (18 percent) anticipate raises above 5 percent. Since 2022, their likelihood of receiving an increase has never dropped below two-thirds, signaling greater stability in executive pay structures compared with CEOs.
For private companies, this year’s data underscores a critical challenge: While salary growth is broadening across the workforce, it’s not keeping pace at the top, leaving many CEOs with flat real earnings. Ownership structure, industry and size continue to drive big differences in CEO pay into 2026. The 2025–26 CEO & Senior Executive Compensation Report for Private U.S. Companies unpacks these trends across roles and industries, with detailed breakdowns and forward-looking insights to guide your 2026 planning.
Order your copy and make informed, future-ready compensation decisions at chiefexecutive.net/compensationreport/order/.
