Executive Compensation Survey

Information on pay structures for leadership roles across a broad range of U.S. industries and geographic areas

Executive Compensation Survey

The Executive Compensation Survey from CompData offers extensive information on pay structures for leadership roles across a broad range of U.S. industries and geographic areas. It includes detailed data on more than 130 executive and senior management job titles, covering various components of compensation such as base salary, incentives, and total cash compensation.

Publisher: CompData (a division of Salary.com)

Detailed Description

Drawing from responses provided by over 5,800 organizations, the dataset encompasses compensation information for approximately 6.4 million executive-level employees across 2,863 positions in 399 different U.S. regions. Industries covered include banking, healthcare, education, insurance, manufacturing, and other key sectors.

The survey includes data points categorized by organizational characteristics such as number of full-time employees (FTE), company revenue, industry type, and profit or nonprofit status. It also includes historical compensation data, offering a five-year perspective on changes in base pay and annual cash incentives.

Additional insights are provided into compensation practices such as the use of short- and long-term incentive plans, executive contract terms, and perquisites. This resource is designed to support professionals involved in compensation planning, policy development, and governance, particularly those working in human resources, finance, or on compensation committees.

Key Data Highlights

Includes data from 5,865 companies and over 6.4 million executive incumbents
Covers 2,863 job roles in 399 geographic areas across 10+ industries
Breaks down base pay, incentive pay, and total cash compensation
Five-year trend data for salaries and incentives
Details on incentive plan structures, executive benefits, and contract terms
Organized by company size (FTEs), revenue, sector (public/private), and profit status

Data Source

Source:

1. Participation from Organizations
Firms voluntarily submit executive pay data—covering base salary, bonuses, long-term incentives, and more—into surveys run by providers like Willis Towers Watson (WTW), Pearl Meyer, Equilar, SalaryCube, etc. For example, WTW’s Executive Compensation Surveys include compensation info on 120,000+ executives from 4,500+ participating companies across 30+ countries.

2. Public Filings & Proxy Disclosures
Survey providers supplement self-reported data with data extracted via SEC proxy statements (DEF 14A), particularly through tools like Equilar’s “Top 5” and “Top 25” surveys
Equilar searches, verifies, and blends public data with survey submissions for comprehensive benchmarking.

3. Analyst Curation & Data Quality
Each dataset undergoes stringent QC, including validation checks, job-matching to standardized roles, and alignment with market definitions. WTW highlights its globally consistent methodology and expert review team.

4. Global Coverage and Job-Level Detail
Providers such as WTW cover 30+ countries, offering industry-specific benchmarks for key roles like CEO, CFO, and CISOs. Equilar’s surveys include data on 1,200+ public/private firms across 70,000+ exec positions.

Source	Role in Survey Data
Participant companies	Primary survey submissions
SEC Proxy filings (e.g. 14A)	Public disclosure supplements
Analyst validation & job mapping	Ensures accuracy & comparability
Coverage scope	Thousands of execs across industries & geographies

Available from: CompData (a division of Salary.com)

Executive Compensation Survey

Executive Compensation Survey

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