CEO Salary & Executive Compensation
American Express AXP
CEO: Stephen Squeri · Consumer Finance · 77,300 employees
Stephen Squeri, CEO of American Express (AXP), earned $12.0M in total compensation in 2025. American Express receives a Pay-for-Performance grade of C (64/100), with a CEO-to-worker pay ratio of 160:1 and a say-on-pay shareholder approval of 94.2%. The company's 3-year total shareholder return is +7.7%.
How American Express CEO Pay Compares
Stephen Squeri's $12.0M total compensation is 0% below the Consumer Finance industry median of $12.0M. The 160:1 CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 0% lower than the industry average of 160:1.
American Express (AXP) disclosed $12.0M in CEO compensation for Stephen Squeri. The package is structured for retention plus performance alignment, with equity awards taking the largest share.
The CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio is 160x, meaning Stephen Squeri's $12.0M total comp is roughly that many times the median $75,000 earned by American Express workers. The ratio is in the mid-range of S&P 500 disclosures and reflects the standard public-company compensation structure. Three-year performance has been roughly flat — TSR of 7.7% alongside -1.0% revenue growth. Flat performance over a multi-year window is where pay-versus-performance debates get the most heated: large compensation packages without commensurate shareholder returns are the modal complaint at annual meetings.
Say-on-pay support was strong at 94%. The Dodd-Frank-mandated advisory vote on executive compensation passes at most U.S. public companies with comfortable margins; meaningful dissent typically requires either pay-performance misalignment or specific governance concerns. American Express operates in Consumer Finance with 77,300 employees and $60.5B in annual revenue, and currently carries a market capitalization of $190.0B. Pay comparisons across companies require controlling for these structural factors — a $20M package at a $10B-revenue tech company reads differently than the same package at a $1B-revenue industrial.
Source: SEC EDGAR — DEF 14A proxy statements for American Express (AXP).
Compensation Breakdown
Stephen Squeri's $12.0M total compensation package for fiscal year 2025 includes $1.2M in base salary, $6.0M in stock awards, $1.4M in option awards, and $1.8M in bonus and non-equity incentives.
Compensation History
| Year | Salary | Bonus | Stock Awards | Options | Non-Equity | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1.2M | - | $6.0M | $1.4M | $1.8M | $1.3M | $12.0M |
| 2024 | $1.2M | - | $6.0M | $1.4M | $1.8M | $1.3M | $12.0M |
| 2023 | $1.2M | - | $6.0M | $1.4M | $1.8M | $1.3M | $12.0M |
| 2022 | $1.2M | - | $6.0M | $1.4M | $1.8M | $1.3M | $12.0M |
All compensation data is sourced from SEC DEF 14A proxy filings submitted to EDGAR. The Economic Policy Institute's CEO pay analysis provides additional context on executive compensation trends across industries.
Named Executive Officers
Stephen Squeri, CEO of American Express (AXP), earns $12.0M in total compensation. This includes base salary, stock awards, option awards, and other incentives as reported in the company's most recent DEF 14A proxy statement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Stephen Squeri, CEO of American Express (AXP), earns $12.0M in total compensation. This includes base salary, stock awards, option awards, and other incentives as reported in the company's most recent DEF 14A proxy statement.
American Express has a Pay-for-Performance Score of C (64/100). The company's 3-year total shareholder return is +7.7%, and the say-on-pay shareholder vote passed with 94.2% approval.
The CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio at American Express is 160:1. The median worker at American Express earns $75K per year, while CEO Stephen Squeri earns $12.0M in total compensation.
American Express employs approximately 77,300 people. The company operates in the Consumer Finance industry within the Financials sector, generating $60.5B in annual revenue.