How Much Does the McDonald's CEO Make?
Chris Kempczinski, CEO of McDonald's, earned $12.0M in total compensation in 2025, including $6.0M in stock awards and $1,200,000 in base salary.
This page answers a common executive-compensation question: How Much Does the McDonald's 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.
Chris Kempczinski leads McDonald's (MCD), a Restaurants company with approximately 150,000 employees. In the 2025 proxy statement filed with the SEC, Chris Kempczinski's total compensation of $12,000,000 included $1,200,000 in base salary, $0 in cash bonus, $6,000,000 in stock awards, and $1,440,000 in option awards.
The CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio at McDonald's is 429:1, meaning the CEO earns 429x the median worker's pay of $28,000. Over the past three years, McDonald's produced a total shareholder return of 5.9% against 2.7% revenue growth. Our Pay-for-Performance Score rates the alignment as C (55/100).
In the most recent say-on-pay vote, 86.8% of shareholders approved the executive compensation plan. Moderate shareholder support suggests some investor concern with pay practices.
Key Data
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total Compensation | $12,000,000 |
| Base Salary | $1,200,000 |
| Stock Awards | $6,000,000 |
| Option Awards | $1,440,000 |
| Non-Equity Incentive | $1,800,000 |
| CEO-to-Worker Pay Ratio | 429:1 |
| Pay-Performance Grade | C |
Other Restaurants CEOs
Frequently Asked Questions
Chris Kempczinski, CEO of McDonald's, earned $12.0M in total compensation in 2025, including $6.0M in stock awards and $1,200,000 in base salary.
Chris Kempczinski is the chief executive officer of McDonald's (MCD).
The CEO at McDonald's earns approximately 429 times the median worker's pay of $28,000.
In 2025, total compensation of $12,000,000 was composed of $1,200,000 base salary, $0 cash bonus, $6,000,000 stock awards, $1,440,000 option awards, and $1,800,000 in non-equity incentive compensation.
Our Pay-for-Performance Score rates McDonald's as C (55/100), based on three-year total shareholder return of 5.9%, revenue growth of 2.7%, and shareholder say-on-pay vote approval.
Chris Kempczinski, CEO of McDonald's, earned $12.0M in total compensation in 2025, including $6.0M in stock awards and $1,200,000 in base salary.
Source: SEC EDGAR DEF 14A proxy statements, 2026.