CEO Salary & Executive Compensation
Cisco Systems CSCO
CEO: Chuck Robbins · Networking · 84,900 employees
Chuck Robbins, CEO of Cisco Systems (CSCO), earned $29.1M in total compensation in 2025. Cisco Systems receives a Pay-for-Performance grade of D (40/100), with a CEO-to-worker pay ratio of 224:1 and a say-on-pay shareholder approval of 92.2%. The company's 3-year total shareholder return is -6.3%.
How Cisco Systems CEO Pay Compares
Chuck Robbins's $29.1M total compensation is 0% below the Networking industry median of $29.1M. The 224:1 CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 24% higher than the industry average of 181:1.
Cisco Systems (CSCO) paid CEO Chuck Robbins a total of $29.1M — placing the package squarely in the top S&P 500 decile. The mix runs heavily to equity: $14.6M in stock awards and $3.5M in options dwarf the $2.9M base.
The CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio is 224x, meaning Chuck Robbins's $29.1M total comp is roughly that many times the median $130,000 earned by Cisco Systems workers. The ratio is in the mid-range of S&P 500 disclosures and reflects the standard public-company compensation structure. Performance has been muted across the three-year window: -6.3% TSR, 0.1% revenue change. Stagnant performance combined with substantial CEO pay is the classic setup for proxy-advisor opposition on say-on-pay votes.
Shareholders supported the compensation package at 92% 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. Cisco Systems operates in Networking with 84,900 employees and $53.8B in annual revenue, and currently carries a market capitalization of $230.0B. 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 Cisco Systems (CSCO).
Compensation Breakdown
Chuck Robbins's $29.1M total compensation package for fiscal year 2025 includes $2.9M in base salary, $14.6M in stock awards, $3.5M in option awards, and $4.4M in bonus and non-equity incentives.
Compensation History
| Year | Salary | Bonus | Stock Awards | Options | Non-Equity | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2.9M | - | $14.6M | $3.5M | $4.4M | $3.2M | $29.1M |
| 2024 | $2.5M | - | $12.3M | $3.0M | $3.7M | $2.7M | $24.6M |
| 2023 | $1.9M | - | $9.4M | $2.3M | $2.8M | $2.1M | $18.8M |
| 2022 | $1.5M | - | $7.5M | $1.8M | $2.3M | $1.7M | $15.1M |
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
Peer CEO Compensation
More Networking Companies
Chuck Robbins, CEO of Cisco Systems (CSCO), earns $29.1M 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
Chuck Robbins, CEO of Cisco Systems (CSCO), earns $29.1M 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.
Cisco Systems has a Pay-for-Performance Score of D (40/100). The company's 3-year total shareholder return is -6.3%, and the say-on-pay shareholder vote passed with 92.2% approval.
The CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio at Cisco Systems is 224:1. The median worker at Cisco Systems earns $130K per year, while CEO Chuck Robbins earns $29.1M in total compensation.
Cisco Systems employs approximately 84,900 people. The company operates in the Networking industry within the Technology sector, generating $53.8B in annual revenue.