To What Extent Do U.S. CEOs Outearn Their Workers?

AFL-CIO, America's largest labor union, recently released data showing that the average S&P 500 CEO made $15.5 million last year, 299 times the pay of the median worker. The findings are released annually and they are generally cited as an effective measure of workforce equality.

Among S&P 500 companies, the industry with the most pronounced worker-to-employee pay gap is the discretionary sector which includes well known names such as Amazon. On average, S&P 500 CEOs in this sector earn 741 times more than their median employees' pay. There is a considerable gap to the industry with the next widest gap which is Consumer Staples where the average pay ratio is 383:1.