What Is the Adobe CEO-to-Worker Pay Ratio?
Adobe's CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 320:1 — CEO Shantanu Narayen earned $51.2M in 2025, or 320 times the median Adobe employee's pay of $160,000. That is broadly in line with large-cap norms.
This page answers a common executive-compensation question: What Is the Adobe CEO-to-Worker Pay Ratio?. The answer draws on SEC DEF 14A proxy statements, the public disclosure mechanism for U.S. public-company executive pay. Every public company must file an annual proxy statement disclosing CEO and named-executive-officer compensation in detail. Why this matters for shareholders: executive compensation is the single most-disclosed governance metric at U.S. public companies, and the Dodd-Frank-mandated say-on-pay vote gives shareholders an explicit channel to express approval or dissent. Reading pay data well — including pay-versus-performance, peer-group selection, and time-vesting structures — is a basic part of stock-by-stock fundamental analysis.
The detailed answer below uses the actual proxy-statement filings, explains how to read them, and translates the executive-compensation accounting into the shareholder-relevant interpretation.
Adobe Pay Ratio Breakdown
- CEO-to-worker ratio
- 320:1
- CEO total comp
- $51.2M
- Median worker pay
- $160,000
- S&P 500 median ratio
- ~300:1
- Employees
- 29,945
- Pay-Performance grade
- C
Source: Adobe SEC DEF 14A proxy statement (Dodd-Frank §953(b) pay-ratio disclosure). S&P 500 median is an industry benchmark.
Public companies have been required to disclose the ratio of CEO pay to median-employee pay in their proxy statements since 2018, under Section 953(b) of the Dodd-Frank Act. At Adobe, Shantanu Narayen's $51,173,935 total compensation works out to 320 times the $160,000 earned by the company's median employee — a Software workforce of roughly 29,945 people.
For context, the typical S&P 500 CEO-to-worker pay ratio runs near 300:1, so Adobe's 320:1 figure is roughly in line with the large-cap norm. The ratio is driven mostly by equity: Shantanu Narayen received $NaN in stock awards and $NaN in option awards in 2025, versus $NaN in base salary. Median worker pay reflects total cash and benefits for the employee at the 50th percentile of the company's global workforce.
Whether a high ratio is "fair" is contested. Critics argue wide gaps signal misaligned incentives and weak labor bargaining power; defenders argue CEO pay is mostly performance-linked equity that only pays out if shareholders gain. Adobe's three-year total shareholder return of 8.6% and Pay-for-Performance grade of C (55/100) are the data points to weigh that against.
In the most recent say-on-pay vote, 90.7% of shareholders approved the executive compensation plan. Strong shareholder support signals broad approval of the pay package.
Pay Ratio Inputs
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total Compensation | $51,173,935 |
| Base Salary | $NaN |
| Stock Awards | $NaN |
| Option Awards | $NaN |
| Median Worker Pay | $160,000 |
| CEO-to-Worker Pay Ratio | 320:1 |
| Pay-Performance Grade | C |
Other Software CEOs
Frequently Asked Questions
Adobe's CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 320:1. CEO Shantanu Narayen earns approximately 320 times the median worker's pay of $160,000, as disclosed in the company's SEC DEF 14A proxy statement.
The typical S&P 500 CEO-to-worker pay ratio is around 300:1. Adobe's 320:1 figure is roughly in line with that benchmark.
The ratio is driven mainly by equity. Shantanu Narayen received $NaN in stock awards and $NaN in option awards in 2025, against base salary of $NaN. The median Adobe employee earns $160,000.
Shantanu Narayen, CEO of Adobe, earned $51.2M in total compensation in 2025, including $NaNM in stock awards and $NaN in base salary.
Shantanu Narayen is the chief executive officer of Adobe (ADBE).
Our Pay-for-Performance Score rates Adobe as C (55/100), based on three-year total shareholder return of 8.6%, revenue growth of 10.7%, and shareholder say-on-pay vote approval.
More about Adobe
Adobe's CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 320:1 — CEO Shantanu Narayen earned $51.2M in 2025, or 320 times the median Adobe employee's pay of $160,000. That is broadly in line with large-cap norms.
Source: SEC EDGAR DEF 14A proxy statements, 2026.