CAP’s study on CFO pay trends (conducted by Partner Kelly Malafis, Principal Roman Beleuta and Associate Louisa Haywood) was cited in a recent article for CFO Dive. The article discusses CAP’s findings on CFO salary / total pay increases, relativity to CEO pay, and turnover.

The CAP report authored by Principal Ryan Colucci was recently referred to again in an article by CFO Dive. The compensation data in the study authored by Colucci reflects S&P 1500 companies that have fiscal year ends between 9/30 and 11/30. Colucci shares that the CFO role has increased in importance in the past years and because of this, it lends itself to more movement. He does not anticipate the increases slowing down and believes the pace of transitions will probably keep up for this year.

In this article, CFO Dive referenced a report CAP published on CFO pay. CAP’s report looks at compensation outcomes for CFOs relative to CEOs among 130 companies. These companies have a median revenue of $14 billion. CAP’s research found that the median 2021 increases in total compensation were 17% for CFOs relative to 18% for CEOs. In comparison, there was only a 4% and 3% increase, respectively, in 2020.

Principal Roman Beleuta discussed a survey conducted by CAP revealing that approximate CFO pay is roughly one-third of CEO pay, a drop from last year’s survey. However, CFO salary increases continue to outnumber those of CEOs, a consistent trend for multiple of years now. He reveals how CEO salary increases are less prominent due to more of a focus on incentive-based raises to align with performance and shareholder interest.

CAP’s recent study on CFO compensation concluded that, while overall pay increased for CFOs, actual bonus payouts dipped as a result of slowed financial performance in 2019 compared to previous years.

Upcoming Events See All

May 06, 2025

Compensation and Workforce Oversight Amid Seismic Shifts

Webinar

Join Partner Shaun Bisman for a discussion on compensation plan design as it pertains to the many developments of 2025 (e.g., tariff standoff between…
  • Shaun Bisman

May 15, 2025

Breakout: Five Pitfalls Private Companies Should Avoid to Craft a Winning Long-Term Incentive Plan

Washington DC

When designed effectively, long-term incentive (LTI) plans are an important tool for private companies seeking to attract and retain top talent, foster an ownership…
  • Shaun Bisman
  • Michael Bonner

May 15, 2025

Best Practices for Board Compensation

Washington DC

The newly updated results from our renowned and comprehensive Private Company Board Compensation survey, featuring data from 2,000 private and family-owned firms, will be…
  • Bonnie Schindler
  • Susan Schroeder