Did the Workday CEO Get a Raise?
No — pay fell. Carl Eschenbach's total compensation dropped 1% to $26.0M in 2026, from $26.2M in 2025, per Workday's SEC DEF 14A filings.
This page answers a common executive-compensation question: Did the Workday CEO Get a Raise?. 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.
Carl Eschenbach Pay: 2025 → 2026
- 2026 total comp
- $26,031,706
- 2025 total comp
- $26,173,192
- Change ($)
- −$141,486
- Change (%)
- -1%
Source: Workday SEC DEF 14A proxy statements, 2025 and 2026 Summary Compensation Tables.
In its latest proxy statement, Workday reported Carl Eschenbach's 2026 total compensation at $26,031,706 — down $141,486 (1%) from $26,173,192 in 2025. The biggest single driver was stock awards, which fell $NaN.
Across the disclosed history, Carl Eschenbach's total pay has run: 2023, $102.7M; 2024, $2.5M; 2025, $26.2M; 2026, $26.0M. CEO compensation is lumpy year to year because equity grants — the largest component — are often awarded in multi-year blocks rather than evenly, so a single year's jump or drop can reflect grant timing as much as a change in pay philosophy.
Whether a raise is warranted ties back to performance: Workday posted a 49.8% three-year total shareholder return on 35.8% revenue growth, and the package carries a CEOPay Pay-for-Performance grade of A (94/100).
Compensation Detail
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total Compensation | $26,031,706 |
| Base Salary | $NaN |
| Stock Awards | $NaN |
| Option Awards | $NaN |
| Non-Equity Incentive | $NaN |
| CEO-to-Worker Pay Ratio | 163:1 |
| Pay-Performance Grade | A |
Other Software CEOs
Frequently Asked Questions
No — pay fell. Carl Eschenbach's total compensation dropped 1% to $26.0M in 2026, from $26.2M in 2025, per Workday's SEC DEF 14A filings.
Carl Eschenbach, CEO of Workday, earned $26.0M in total compensation in 2026, including $NaNM in stock awards and $NaN in base salary.
In 2026, total compensation of $26,031,706 was composed of $NaN base salary, $NaN cash bonus, $NaN stock awards, $NaN option awards, and $NaN in non-equity incentive compensation.
Our Pay-for-Performance Score rates Workday as A (94/100), based on three-year total shareholder return of 49.8%, revenue growth of 35.8%, and shareholder say-on-pay vote approval.
Carl Eschenbach is the chief executive officer of Workday (WDAY).
More about Workday
No — pay fell. Carl Eschenbach's total compensation dropped 1% to $26.0M in 2026, from $26.2M in 2025, per Workday's SEC DEF 14A filings.
Source: SEC EDGAR DEF 14A proxy statements, 2026.