Arvind Krishna, CEO of IBM (IBM), earned $13.7M in total compensation in 2025. IBM receives a Pay-for-Performance grade of C (62/100), with a CEO-to-worker pay ratio of 144:1 and a say-on-pay shareholder approval of 95.7%. The company's 3-year total shareholder return is +14.0%.
How IBM CEO Pay Compares
Arvind Krishna's $13.7M total compensation is 0% below the IT Services industry median of $13.7M. The 144:1 CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 0% lower than the industry average of 144:1. Shareholders broadly support this compensation, with 95.7% approval.
Arvind Krishna, CEO of IBM (IBM), received $13.7M 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 runs 144x. Lower ratios typically reflect companies with higher-paid workforces (financial services, technology, professional services) where the median worker pay denominator is itself substantial. Three-year performance has been roughly flat — TSR of 14.0% alongside 4.5% 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 ratified the compensation package overwhelmingly: 96% of votes cast supported the company's pay practices at the most recent annual meeting. Say-on-pay support above 95% is typical for well-aligned compensation programs without obvious controversy. IBM operates in IT Services with 282,200 employees and $61.9B in annual revenue, and currently carries a market capitalization of $200.0B. 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 IBM (IBM).
Compensation Breakdown
Arvind Krishna's $13.7M total compensation package for fiscal year 2025 includes $1.4M in base salary, $6.9M in stock awards, $1.6M in option awards, and $2.1M in bonus and non-equity incentives.
Compensation History
| Year | Salary | Bonus | Stock Awards | Options | Non-Equity | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1.4M | - | $6.9M | $1.6M | $2.1M | $1.5M | $13.7M |
| 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
Arvind Krishna, CEO of IBM (IBM), earns $13.7M 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
Arvind Krishna, CEO of IBM (IBM), earns $13.7M 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.
IBM has a Pay-for-Performance Score of C (62/100). The company's 3-year total shareholder return is +14.0%, and the say-on-pay shareholder vote passed with 95.7% approval.
The CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio at IBM is 144:1. The median worker at IBM earns $95K per year, while CEO Arvind Krishna earns $13.7M in total compensation.
IBM employs approximately 282,200 people. The company operates in the IT Services industry within the Technology sector, generating $61.9B in annual revenue.