CEO Salary & Executive Compensation
Charles Schwab SCHW
CEO: Walt Bettinger · Brokerage · 35,200 employees
Walt Bettinger, CEO of Charles Schwab (SCHW), earned $12.0M in total compensation in 2025. Charles Schwab receives a Pay-for-Performance grade of B (72/100), with a CEO-to-worker pay ratio of 150:1 and a say-on-pay shareholder approval of 87.6%. The company's 3-year total shareholder return is +13.3%.
How Charles Schwab CEO Pay Compares
Walt Bettinger's $12.0M total compensation is 0% below the Brokerage industry median of $12.0M. The 150:1 CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 0% lower than the industry average of 150:1.
Walt Bettinger, CEO of Charles Schwab (SCHW), received $12.0M in total reported compensation. The package mix typical at this scale: a small base salary, a larger stock-award component, and performance-tied incentives that vest over multiple years based on relative TSR or earnings benchmarks.
The CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio is 150x, meaning Walt Bettinger's $12.0M total comp is roughly that many times the median $80,000 earned by Charles Schwab 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 13.3% alongside 12.7% 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.
Shareholders supported the compensation package at 88% on the most recent say-on-pay vote. Solid support without overwhelming endorsement is the typical pattern for established public companies with conventional compensation programs. Charles Schwab operates in Brokerage with 35,200 employees and $20.8B in annual revenue, and currently carries a market capitalization of $140.0B. 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 Charles Schwab (SCHW).
Compensation Breakdown
Walt Bettinger'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
Walt Bettinger, CEO of Charles Schwab (SCHW), 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
Walt Bettinger, CEO of Charles Schwab (SCHW), 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.
Charles Schwab has a Pay-for-Performance Score of B (72/100). The company's 3-year total shareholder return is +13.3%, and the say-on-pay shareholder vote passed with 87.6% approval.
The CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio at Charles Schwab is 150:1. The median worker at Charles Schwab earns $80K per year, while CEO Walt Bettinger earns $12.0M in total compensation.
Charles Schwab employs approximately 35,200 people. The company operates in the Brokerage industry within the Financials sector, generating $20.8B in annual revenue.