What Is the Cisco Systems CEO-to-Worker Pay Ratio?
Cisco Systems's CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 406:1 — CEO Chuck Robbins earned $52.8M in 2025, or 406 times the median Cisco Systems employee's pay of $130,000. That is broadly in line with large-cap norms.
This page answers a common executive-compensation question: What Is the Cisco Systems 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.
Cisco Systems Pay Ratio Breakdown
- CEO-to-worker ratio
- 406:1
- CEO total comp
- $52.8M
- Median worker pay
- $130,000
- S&P 500 median ratio
- ~300:1
- Employees
- 84,900
- Pay-Performance grade
- D
Source: Cisco Systems 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 Cisco Systems, Chuck Robbins's $52,838,751 total compensation works out to 406 times the $130,000 earned by the company's median employee — a Networking workforce of roughly 84,900 people.
For context, the typical S&P 500 CEO-to-worker pay ratio runs near 300:1, so Cisco Systems's 406:1 figure is meaningfully higher than the large-cap norm. The ratio is driven mostly by equity: Chuck Robbins 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. Cisco Systems's three-year total shareholder return of -6.3% and Pay-for-Performance grade of D (40/100) are the data points to weigh that against.
In the most recent say-on-pay vote, 92.2% of shareholders approved the executive compensation plan. Strong shareholder support signals broad approval of the pay package.
Pay Ratio Inputs
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total Compensation | $52,838,751 |
| Base Salary | $NaN |
| Stock Awards | $NaN |
| Option Awards | $NaN |
| Median Worker Pay | $130,000 |
| CEO-to-Worker Pay Ratio | 406:1 |
| Pay-Performance Grade | D |
Other Networking CEOs
Frequently Asked Questions
Cisco Systems's CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 406:1. CEO Chuck Robbins earns approximately 406 times the median worker's pay of $130,000, 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. Cisco Systems's 406:1 figure is above that benchmark.
The ratio is driven mainly by equity. Chuck Robbins received $NaN in stock awards and $NaN in option awards in 2025, against base salary of $NaN. The median Cisco Systems employee earns $130,000.
Chuck Robbins, CEO of Cisco Systems, earned $52.8M in total compensation in 2025, including $NaNM in stock awards and $NaN in base salary.
Chuck Robbins is the chief executive officer of Cisco Systems (CSCO).
Our Pay-for-Performance Score rates Cisco Systems as D (40/100), based on three-year total shareholder return of -6.3%, revenue growth of 0.1%, and shareholder say-on-pay vote approval.
More about Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems's CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 406:1 — CEO Chuck Robbins earned $52.8M in 2025, or 406 times the median Cisco Systems employee's pay of $130,000. That is broadly in line with large-cap norms.
Source: SEC EDGAR DEF 14A proxy statements, 2026.