By the Numbers: Executive pay on the rise in Canada

Toronto – January 5, 2018 – Canadian executives did it again: shortly before 11am on January 2, the average top-earning CEO in Canada made what the typical Canadian worker earns in an entire year. A new Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) report examined the 100 highest-paid CEOs at TSX-listed companies for 2016, and these are some of the findings:

$10.4 million

Average annual compensation for a CEO in Canada in 2016.

200 times

The country’s 100 highest-paid CEOs are now making 209 times more than the average worker’s income of $49,738.

316 times

Canada’s CEOs currently make 316 times more than a worker who earns $15 an hour.

8%

Average CEO compensation in Canada rose 8 percent compared to 2015, while the average worker’s salary rose by just 0.5 percent in 2016.

$2,489.62

The lowest wage among Canada’s richest CEOs in 2016 was $2,489.62 an hour.

Women underrepresented among Canada’s CEOs

Only three women made it to the top 100 CEO rankings in 2016, up from two in 2015.

On average, base pay makes up only 11 percent of a CEO’s total compensation in Canada, while share grants (33 percent), bonuses (26 percent), and stock options (15 percent) comprise the rest.

Total Compensation of Canada’s Top CEOs in 2016

Source: “Climbing Up and Kicking Down: Executive Pay in Canada,”Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Online, January 2018.