Chief executives at many of the world’s largest corporations received another major pay increase in 2025, while wage growth for workers barely moved after inflation.
A new analysis from the International Trade Union Confederation and Oxfam found that global CEO pay rose 11% in real terms last year compared to just 0.5% for the average worker.
Across 1,500 large corporations in 33 countries, the average CEO earned $8.4 million in pay and bonuses in 2025, up from $7.6 million the year before.
CEO Pay Continues Pulling Away From Worker Earnings
In the United States, the gap widened even faster.
For 384 CEOs in the S&P 500 with available compensation data, pay climbed 25.6% between 2024 and 2025. Over the same period, average private-sector wages rose just 1.3% after inflation.
The report estimates it would take the average global worker roughly 490 years to earn what the average CEO made in one year.
Several executives crossed the $100 million compensation mark in 2025, including leaders at Blackstone, Broadcom, and Goldman Sachs.
AI Wealth Is Growing Faster Than Worker Pay
The report also points to how wealth tied to artificial intelligence is accelerating at the top end of the economy.
According to the findings, 45 new billionaires built fortunes linked to AI over the past year. Billionaire wealth globally increased by $4 trillion during the same period.
Researchers also found nearly 1,000 billionaires collectively received $79 billion in dividend payouts in 2025.
Worker Pay Pressure Continues
While executive compensation climbed, workers in many countries are still struggling to recover purchasing power lost over the past several years.
The analysis says global real wages have fallen 12% since 2019 when adjusted for inflation. Gender pay disparities also remain significant, with women workers across the surveyed corporations earning about 16% less on average.
The findings arrive as companies continue investing heavily in automation, AI systems, and productivity technologies while many employees face tighter workloads, slower hiring, and ongoing cost-of-living pressure.
Labor Tensions Remain Part of the Future-Of-Work Debate
The report also highlights growing concerns around corporate power, union resistance, and political influence tied to concentrated wealth.
Companies including Amazon and Walmart were referenced in discussions around labor practices and organizing efforts, while billionaire influence over media and politics remains under increasing scrutiny globally.
As AI investment accelerates and companies continue searching for efficiency gains, questions around how productivity gains are shared between executives, shareholders, and workers are becoming a larger part of the future-of-work conversation.
