What Is the Lowe's CEO-to-Worker Pay Ratio?
Lowe's's CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 343:1 — CEO Marvin Ellison earned $12.0M in 2026, or 343 times the median Lowe's employee's pay of $35,000. That is broadly in line with large-cap norms.
This page answers a common executive-compensation question: What Is the Lowe's 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.
Lowe's Pay Ratio Breakdown
- CEO-to-worker ratio
- 343:1
- CEO total comp
- $12.0M
- Median worker pay
- $35,000
- S&P 500 median ratio
- ~300:1
- Employees
- 300,000
- Pay-Performance grade
- D
Source: Lowe's 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 Lowe's, Marvin Ellison's $12,000,000 total compensation works out to 343 times the $35,000 earned by the company's median employee — a Home Improvement workforce of roughly 300,000 people.
For context, the typical S&P 500 CEO-to-worker pay ratio runs near 300:1, so Lowe's's 343:1 figure is roughly in line with the large-cap norm. The ratio is driven mostly by equity: Marvin Ellison received $6,000,000 in stock awards and $1,440,000 in option awards in 2026, versus $1,200,000 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. Lowe's's three-year total shareholder return of -5.4% 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 | $12,000,000 |
| Base Salary | $1,200,000 |
| Stock Awards | $6,000,000 |
| Option Awards | $1,440,000 |
| Median Worker Pay | $35,000 |
| CEO-to-Worker Pay Ratio | 343:1 |
| Pay-Performance Grade | D |
Other Home Improvement CEOs
Frequently Asked Questions
Lowe's's CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 343:1. CEO Marvin Ellison earns approximately 343 times the median worker's pay of $35,000, 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. Lowe's's 343:1 figure is roughly in line with that benchmark.
The ratio is driven mainly by equity. Marvin Ellison received $6,000,000 in stock awards and $1,440,000 in option awards in 2026, against base salary of $1,200,000. The median Lowe's employee earns $35,000.
Marvin Ellison, CEO of Lowe's, earned $12.0M in total compensation in 2026, including $6.0M in stock awards and $1,200,000 in base salary.
Marvin Ellison is the chief executive officer of Lowe's (LOW).
Our Pay-for-Performance Score rates Lowe's as D (49/100), based on three-year total shareholder return of -5.4%, revenue growth of -0.1%, and shareholder say-on-pay vote approval.
More about Lowe's
Lowe's's CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 343:1 — CEO Marvin Ellison earned $12.0M in 2026, or 343 times the median Lowe's employee's pay of $35,000. That is broadly in line with large-cap norms.
Source: SEC EDGAR DEF 14A proxy statements, 2026.