CEO Salary & Executive Compensation
General Dynamics GD
CEO: Phebe Novakovic · Aerospace & Defense · 113,000 employees
Phebe Novakovic, CEO of General Dynamics (GD), earned $8.0M in total compensation in 2025. General Dynamics receives a Pay-for-Performance grade of B (75/100), with a CEO-to-worker pay ratio of 80:1 and a say-on-pay shareholder approval of 88.7%. The company's 3-year total shareholder return is +14.6%.
How General Dynamics CEO Pay Compares
Phebe Novakovic's $8.0M total compensation is 33% below the Aerospace & Defense industry median of $12.0M. The 80:1 CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 32% lower than the industry average of 117:1.
General Dynamics (GD) disclosed $8.0M in CEO compensation for Phebe Novakovic. The package is structured for retention plus performance alignment, with equity awards taking the largest share.
The CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio runs 80x. Lower ratios typically reflect companies with higher-paid workforces (financial services, technology, professional services) where the median worker pay denominator is itself substantial. Performance has been muted across the three-year window: 14.6% TSR, 11.5% revenue change. Stagnant performance combined with substantial CEO pay is the classic setup for proxy-advisor opposition on say-on-pay votes.
Say-on-pay support was strong at 89%. 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. General Dynamics operates in Aerospace & Defense with 113,000 employees and $42.3B in annual revenue, and currently carries a market capitalization of $80.0B. 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 General Dynamics (GD).
Compensation Breakdown
Phebe Novakovic's $8.0M total compensation package for fiscal year 2025 includes $800K in base salary, $4.0M in stock awards, $960K in option awards, and $1.2M in bonus and non-equity incentives.
Compensation History
| Year | Salary | Bonus | Stock Awards | Options | Non-Equity | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $800K | - | $4.0M | $960K | $1.2M | $880K | $8.0M |
| 2024 | $800K | - | $4.0M | $960K | $1.2M | $880K | $8.0M |
| 2023 | $800K | - | $4.0M | $960K | $1.2M | $880K | $8.0M |
| 2022 | $800K | - | $4.0M | $960K | $1.2M | $880K | $8.0M |
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
Phebe Novakovic, CEO of General Dynamics (GD), earns $8.0M 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
Phebe Novakovic, CEO of General Dynamics (GD), earns $8.0M 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.
General Dynamics has a Pay-for-Performance Score of B (75/100). The company's 3-year total shareholder return is +14.6%, and the say-on-pay shareholder vote passed with 88.7% approval.
The CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio at General Dynamics is 80:1. The median worker at General Dynamics earns $100K per year, while CEO Phebe Novakovic earns $8.0M in total compensation.
General Dynamics employs approximately 113,000 people. The company operates in the Aerospace & Defense industry within the Industrials sector, generating $42.3B in annual revenue.