How quickly Fortune 500 CEOs earn your annual salary
- Amanda Augustine
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
Resume.ai experts analyzed DataBahn’s list of publicly reported Fortune 500 companies, taking a closer look at each CEO’s compensation and comparing it to the average 2024 U.S. salary from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The numbers speak for themselves.
The calculator offers Americans a clear look at the huge pay gap between everyday workers and top Fortune 500 CEOs. The tool lets users enter their annual salary and instantly see how quickly the highest-paid CEOs earn the same amount, down to the second.
Amanda Augustine, resident career expert at Resume.ai, said, “People know that CEOs make a lot of money, but watching those numbers move in real time can be a real shock. This tool puts the gap between everyday employees and billionaires into a whole new perspective.”
Tim Cook earns the average U.S. salary in about seven hours
The calculator points out striking differences. Apple CEO Tim Cook earns $74.6 million a year; that’s $2.36 per second or $204,399 per day. With the average American making $62,088 a year (BLS), Cook reaches that amount in just over seven hours.
Despite his large salary, Cook is still subjected to intense market pressure. After the iPhone 17 launch, Apple’s value dropped by over $50 billion as investors worried the new lineup didn’t offer enough innovation or meaningful AI upgrades, according to Businessday NG and The Business Standard.
Simple breakdown of CEO pay vs. worker pay
Other Fortune 500 leaders also reach the average American’s annual salary surprisingly fast.
Other Fortune 500 leaders also surpass the average annual salary in record time:
Darren Woods (Exxon Mobil): 16 hours
Douglas McMillon (Walmart): ~20 hours
Andrew Witty (UnitedHealth): 0.7 days
Karen Lynch (CVS Health): ~2 days
Brian Tyler (McKesson): 1.2 days
Steven Collis (AmerisourceBergen): 1.3 days
Sundar Pichai (Alphabet): 2.1 days
Andy Jassy (Amazon): 14.2 days
Warren Buffett (Berkshire Hathaway): 55.6 days
These numbers show just how extreme the pay gap has become. When top CEOs earn a full year of average worker pay in mere days or less, it’s hard not to question how uneven compensation is in the U.S. today. The difference isn’t small, it’s a completely different world.
Methodology: The calculator uses publicly available CEO compensation data and compares it with average national earnings. By converting annual pay into per-second figures, it shows just how fast top leaders earn far more than typical workers.
About Resume.ai: Resume.ai is an AI-powered resume and cover letter platform built to give job seekers a competitive edge. Leveraging advanced machine learning, Resume.ai offers intelligent resume scoring, real-time feedback, and keyword optimization to ensure every document is tailored for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and recruiter preferences. Users can instantly generate resumes aligned with specific job descriptions, explore expertly written examples, and fine-tune their applications with personalized guidance. With sleek, professional templates and support for multiple download formats, Resume.ai makes it easy to craft job-winning applications in minutes. Trusted by professionals worldwide, Resume.ai goes beyond building resumes, empowering users with smart tools to accelerate every step of their job search journey. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X, and Instagram.
Amanda Augustine is the resident career expert for career.io’s suite of brands: TopResume, TopCV, resume.io, TopInterview, ZipJob, and Careerminds. As a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC) and a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), she has spent more than 20 years helping professionals improve their careers and land the right job sooner. Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Facebook.
