What Is the Kellogg CEO-to-Worker Pay Ratio?
Kellogg's CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 160:1 — CEO Gary Pilnick earned $8.0M in 2024, or 160 times the median Kellogg employee's pay of $50,000. That is below the S&P 500 median of roughly 300:1.
This page answers a common executive-compensation question: What Is the Kellogg 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.
Kellogg Pay Ratio Breakdown
- CEO-to-worker ratio
- 160:1
- CEO total comp
- $8.0M
- Median worker pay
- $50,000
- S&P 500 median ratio
- ~300:1
- Employees
- 23,000
- Pay-Performance grade
- D
Source: Kellogg 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 Kellogg, Gary Pilnick's $8,000,000 total compensation works out to 160 times the $50,000 earned by the company's median employee — a Packaged Foods workforce of roughly 23,000 people.
For context, the typical S&P 500 CEO-to-worker pay ratio runs near 300:1, so Kellogg's 160:1 figure is lower than the large-cap norm. The ratio is driven mostly by equity: Gary Pilnick received $4,000,000 in stock awards and $960,000 in option awards in 2024, versus $800,000 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. Kellogg's three-year total shareholder return of -10.8% and Pay-for-Performance grade of D (49/100) are the data points to weigh that against.
In the most recent say-on-pay vote, 87.2% of shareholders approved the executive compensation plan. Moderate shareholder support suggests some investor concern with pay practices.
Pay Ratio Inputs
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total Compensation | $8,000,000 |
| Base Salary | $800,000 |
| Stock Awards | $4,000,000 |
| Option Awards | $960,000 |
| Median Worker Pay | $50,000 |
| CEO-to-Worker Pay Ratio | 160:1 |
| Pay-Performance Grade | D |
Other Packaged Foods CEOs
Frequently Asked Questions
Kellogg's CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 160:1. CEO Gary Pilnick earns approximately 160 times the median worker's pay of $50,000, 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. Kellogg's 160:1 figure is below that benchmark.
The ratio is driven mainly by equity. Gary Pilnick received $4,000,000 in stock awards and $960,000 in option awards in 2024, against base salary of $800,000. The median Kellogg employee earns $50,000.
Gary Pilnick, CEO of Kellogg, earned $8.0M in total compensation in 2024, including $4.0M in stock awards and $800,000 in base salary.
Gary Pilnick is the chief executive officer of Kellogg (K).
Our Pay-for-Performance Score rates Kellogg as D (49/100), based on three-year total shareholder return of -10.8%, revenue growth of -8.8%, and shareholder say-on-pay vote approval.
More about Kellogg
Kellogg's CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 160:1 — CEO Gary Pilnick earned $8.0M in 2024, or 160 times the median Kellogg employee's pay of $50,000. That is below the S&P 500 median of roughly 300:1.
Source: SEC EDGAR DEF 14A proxy statements, 2026.