Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft (MSFT), earned $35.9M in total compensation in 2025. Microsoft receives a Pay-for-Performance grade of D (44/100), with a CEO-to-worker pay ratio of 225:1 and a say-on-pay shareholder approval of 94.0%. The company's 3-year total shareholder return is +2.9%.
How Microsoft CEO Pay Compares
Satya Nadella's $35.9M total compensation is 128% above the Software industry median of $15.7M. The 225:1 CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 68% higher than the industry average of 134:1.
Microsoft (MSFT) paid CEO Satya Nadella a total of $35.9M — placing the package squarely in the top S&P 500 decile. The mix runs heavily to equity: $18.0M in stock awards and $4.3M in options dwarf the $3.6M base.
The CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio is 225x, meaning Satya Nadella's $35.9M total comp is roughly that many times the median $160,000 earned by Microsoft 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: 2.9% TSR, 1.7% 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 94% 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. Microsoft operates in Software with 228,000 employees and $245.1B in annual revenue, and currently carries a market capitalization of $3100.0B. 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 Microsoft (MSFT).
Compensation Breakdown
Satya Nadella's $35.9M total compensation package for fiscal year 2025 includes $3.6M in base salary, $18.0M in stock awards, $4.3M in option awards, and $5.4M in bonus and non-equity incentives.
Compensation History
| Year | Salary | Bonus | Stock Awards | Options | Non-Equity | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3.6M | - | $18.0M | $4.3M | $5.4M | $4.0M | $35.9M |
| 2024 | $3.2M | - | $16.1M | $3.9M | $4.8M | $3.5M | $32.2M |
| 2023 | $2.9M | - | $14.4M | $3.5M | $4.3M | $3.2M | $28.8M |
| 2022 | $2.3M | - | $11.3M | $2.7M | $3.4M | $2.5M | $22.5M |
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
Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft (MSFT), earns $35.9M 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
Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft (MSFT), earns $35.9M 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.
Microsoft has a Pay-for-Performance Score of D (44/100). The company's 3-year total shareholder return is +2.9%, and the say-on-pay shareholder vote passed with 94.0% approval.
The CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio at Microsoft is 225:1. The median worker at Microsoft earns $160K per year, while CEO Satya Nadella earns $35.9M in total compensation.
Microsoft employs approximately 228,000 people. The company operates in the Software industry within the Technology sector, generating $245.1B in annual revenue.