What Is the Synopsys CEO-to-Worker Pay Ratio?
Synopsys's CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 115:1 — CEO Sassine Ghazi earned $17.9M in 2025, or 115 times the median Synopsys employee's pay of $155,000. That is below the S&P 500 median of roughly 300:1.
This page answers a common executive-compensation question: What Is the Synopsys 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.
Synopsys Pay Ratio Breakdown
- CEO-to-worker ratio
- 115:1
- CEO total comp
- $17.9M
- Median worker pay
- $155,000
- S&P 500 median ratio
- ~300:1
- Employees
- 19,500
- Pay-Performance grade
- C
Source: Synopsys 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 Synopsys, Sassine Ghazi's $17,865,880 total compensation works out to 115 times the $155,000 earned by the company's median employee — a EDA Software workforce of roughly 19,500 people.
For context, the typical S&P 500 CEO-to-worker pay ratio runs near 300:1, so Synopsys's 115:1 figure is lower than the large-cap norm. The ratio is driven mostly by equity: Sassine Ghazi received $8,932,940 in stock awards and $2,143,906 in option awards in 2025, versus $1,786,588 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. Synopsys's three-year total shareholder return of 30.8% and Pay-for-Performance grade of C (62/100) are the data points to weigh that against.
In the most recent say-on-pay vote, 96.5% of shareholders approved the executive compensation plan. Strong shareholder support signals broad approval of the pay package.
Pay Ratio Inputs
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total Compensation | $17,865,880 |
| Base Salary | $1,786,588 |
| Stock Awards | $8,932,940 |
| Option Awards | $2,143,906 |
| Median Worker Pay | $155,000 |
| CEO-to-Worker Pay Ratio | 115:1 |
| Pay-Performance Grade | C |
Other EDA Software CEOs
Frequently Asked Questions
Synopsys's CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 115:1. CEO Sassine Ghazi earns approximately 115 times the median worker's pay of $155,000, 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. Synopsys's 115:1 figure is below that benchmark.
The ratio is driven mainly by equity. Sassine Ghazi received $8,932,940 in stock awards and $2,143,906 in option awards in 2025, against base salary of $1,786,588. The median Synopsys employee earns $155,000.
Sassine Ghazi, CEO of Synopsys, earned $17.9M in total compensation in 2025, including $8.9M in stock awards and $1,786,588 in base salary.
Sassine Ghazi is the chief executive officer of Synopsys (SNPS).
Our Pay-for-Performance Score rates Synopsys as C (62/100), based on three-year total shareholder return of 30.8%, revenue growth of 17.4%, and shareholder say-on-pay vote approval.
More about Synopsys
Synopsys's CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 115:1 — CEO Sassine Ghazi earned $17.9M in 2025, or 115 times the median Synopsys employee's pay of $155,000. That is below the S&P 500 median of roughly 300:1.
Source: SEC EDGAR DEF 14A proxy statements, 2026.