What Is the AT&T CEO-to-Worker Pay Ratio?
AT&T's CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 299:1 — CEO John Stankey earned $29.9M in 2025, or 299 times the median AT&T employee's pay of $100,000. That is broadly in line with large-cap norms.
This page answers a common executive-compensation question: What Is the AT&T 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.
AT&T Pay Ratio Breakdown
- CEO-to-worker ratio
- 299:1
- CEO total comp
- $29.9M
- Median worker pay
- $100,000
- S&P 500 median ratio
- ~300:1
- Employees
- 150,480
- Pay-Performance grade
- B
Source: AT&T 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 AT&T, John Stankey's $29,906,872 total compensation works out to 299 times the $100,000 earned by the company's median employee — a Telecommunications workforce of roughly 150,480 people.
For context, the typical S&P 500 CEO-to-worker pay ratio runs near 300:1, so AT&T's 299:1 figure is roughly in line with the large-cap norm. The ratio is driven mostly by equity: John Stankey 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. AT&T's three-year total shareholder return of 10.7% and Pay-for-Performance grade of B (69/100) are the data points to weigh that against.
In the most recent say-on-pay vote, 93.8% of shareholders approved the executive compensation plan. Strong shareholder support signals broad approval of the pay package.
Pay Ratio Inputs
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total Compensation | $29,906,872 |
| Base Salary | $NaN |
| Stock Awards | $NaN |
| Option Awards | $NaN |
| Median Worker Pay | $100,000 |
| CEO-to-Worker Pay Ratio | 299:1 |
| Pay-Performance Grade | B |
Other Telecommunications CEOs
Frequently Asked Questions
AT&T's CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 299:1. CEO John Stankey earns approximately 299 times the median worker's pay of $100,000, 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. AT&T's 299:1 figure is roughly in line with that benchmark.
The ratio is driven mainly by equity. John Stankey received $NaN in stock awards and $NaN in option awards in 2025, against base salary of $NaN. The median AT&T employee earns $100,000.
John Stankey, CEO of AT&T, earned $29.9M in total compensation in 2025, including $NaNM in stock awards and $NaN in base salary.
John Stankey is the chief executive officer of AT&T (T).
Our Pay-for-Performance Score rates AT&T as B (69/100), based on three-year total shareholder return of 10.7%, revenue growth of 1.3%, and shareholder say-on-pay vote approval.
More about AT&T
AT&T's CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 299:1 — CEO John Stankey earned $29.9M in 2025, or 299 times the median AT&T employee's pay of $100,000. That is broadly in line with large-cap norms.
Source: SEC EDGAR DEF 14A proxy statements, 2026.