How Much Does the IBM CEO Make?
Arvind Krishna, CEO of IBM, earned $13.7M in total compensation in 2025, including $6.9M in stock awards and $1,372,000 in base salary.
This page answers a common executive-compensation question: How Much Does the IBM CEO Make?. 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.
Arvind Krishna leads IBM (IBM), a IT Services company with approximately 282,200 employees. In the 2025 proxy statement filed with the SEC, Arvind Krishna's total compensation of $13,720,000 included $1,372,000 in base salary, $0 in cash bonus, $6,860,000 in stock awards, and $1,646,400 in option awards.
The CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio at IBM is 144:1, meaning the CEO earns 144x the median worker's pay of $95,000. Over the past three years, IBM produced a total shareholder return of 14.0% against 4.5% revenue growth. Our Pay-for-Performance Score rates the alignment as C (62/100).
In the most recent say-on-pay vote, 95.7% of shareholders approved the executive compensation plan. Strong shareholder support signals broad approval of the pay package.
Key Data
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total Compensation | $13,720,000 |
| Base Salary | $1,372,000 |
| Stock Awards | $6,860,000 |
| Option Awards | $1,646,400 |
| Non-Equity Incentive | $2,058,000 |
| CEO-to-Worker Pay Ratio | 144:1 |
| Pay-Performance Grade | C |
Frequently Asked Questions
Arvind Krishna, CEO of IBM, earned $13.7M in total compensation in 2025, including $6.9M in stock awards and $1,372,000 in base salary.
Arvind Krishna is the chief executive officer of IBM (IBM).
The CEO at IBM earns approximately 144 times the median worker's pay of $95,000.
In 2025, total compensation of $13,720,000 was composed of $1,372,000 base salary, $0 cash bonus, $6,860,000 stock awards, $1,646,400 option awards, and $2,058,000 in non-equity incentive compensation.
Our Pay-for-Performance Score rates IBM as C (62/100), based on three-year total shareholder return of 14.0%, revenue growth of 4.5%, and shareholder say-on-pay vote approval.
Arvind Krishna, CEO of IBM, earned $13.7M in total compensation in 2025, including $6.9M in stock awards and $1,372,000 in base salary.
Source: SEC EDGAR DEF 14A proxy statements, 2026.