John May, CEO of Deere & Company (DE), earned $12.0M in total compensation in 2025. Deere & Company receives a Pay-for-Performance grade of D (43/100), with a CEO-to-worker pay ratio of 160:1 and a say-on-pay shareholder approval of 86.6%. The company's 3-year total shareholder return is -17.6%.
How Deere & Company CEO Pay Compares
John May's $12.0M total compensation is 0% below the Machinery industry median of $12.0M. The 160:1 CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 0% lower than the industry average of 160:1.
John May, CEO of Deere & Company (DE), 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 160x, meaning John May's $12.0M total comp is roughly that many times the median $75,000 earned by Deere & Company 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 negative: TSR of -17.6% and -13.6% revenue change. Significant CEO compensation alongside negative shareholder returns is the most controversial pay pattern and is the central case for proxy-advisor pay-for-performance opposition.
Shareholders supported the compensation package at 87% 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. Deere & Company operates in Machinery with 83,000 employees and $55.7B in annual revenue, and currently carries a market capitalization of $120.0B. 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 Deere & Company (DE).
Compensation Breakdown
John May'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
Peer CEO Compensation
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John May, CEO of Deere & Company (DE), 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
John May, CEO of Deere & Company (DE), 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.
Deere & Company has a Pay-for-Performance Score of D (43/100). The company's 3-year total shareholder return is -17.6%, and the say-on-pay shareholder vote passed with 86.6% approval.
The CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio at Deere & Company is 160:1. The median worker at Deere & Company earns $75K per year, while CEO John May earns $12.0M in total compensation.
Deere & Company employs approximately 83,000 people. The company operates in the Machinery industry within the Industrials sector, generating $55.7B in annual revenue.