Leon Topalian, CEO of Nucor (NUE), earned $8.0M in total compensation in 2025. Nucor receives a Pay-for-Performance grade of B (65/100), with a CEO-to-worker pay ratio of 114:1 and a say-on-pay shareholder approval of 91.0%. The company's 3-year total shareholder return is +6.6%.
How Nucor CEO Pay Compares
Leon Topalian's $8.0M total compensation is 0% below the Steel industry median of $8.0M. The 114:1 CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 0% lower than the industry average of 114:1.
Nucor (NUE) disclosed $8.0M in CEO compensation for Leon Topalian. The package is structured for retention plus performance alignment, with equity awards taking the largest share.
The CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio runs 114x. 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: 6.6% TSR, 0.0% 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 91%. 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. Nucor operates in Steel with 31,400 employees and $34.7B in annual revenue, and currently carries a market capitalization of $35.0B. 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 Nucor (NUE).
Compensation Breakdown
Leon Topalian'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
Leon Topalian, CEO of Nucor (NUE), 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
Leon Topalian, CEO of Nucor (NUE), 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.
Nucor has a Pay-for-Performance Score of B (65/100). The company's 3-year total shareholder return is +6.6%, and the say-on-pay shareholder vote passed with 91.0% approval.
The CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio at Nucor is 114:1. The median worker at Nucor earns $70K per year, while CEO Leon Topalian earns $8.0M in total compensation.
Nucor employs approximately 31,400 people. The company operates in the Steel industry within the Materials sector, generating $34.7B in annual revenue.