Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla (TSLA), earned $15.0M in total compensation in 2025. Tesla receives a Pay-for-Performance grade of C (56/100), with a CEO-to-worker pay ratio of 231:1 and a say-on-pay shareholder approval of 95.7%. The company's 3-year total shareholder return is -4.0%.
How Tesla CEO Pay Compares
Elon Musk's $15.0M total compensation is 47% above the Automobiles industry median of $10.2M. The 231:1 CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 36% higher than the industry average of 170:1. Shareholders broadly support this compensation, with 95.7% approval.
Tesla (TSLA) reported total CEO compensation of $15.0M for Elon Musk. The structure is typical of large-cap public companies: a small fixed salary, substantial equity awards, and short- and long-term incentive plans tied to performance.
The CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio is 231x, meaning Elon Musk's $15.0M total comp is roughly that many times the median $65,000 earned by Tesla 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: -4.0% TSR, -1.0% revenue change. Stagnant performance combined with substantial CEO pay is the classic setup for proxy-advisor opposition on say-on-pay votes.
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. Tesla operates in Automobiles with 140,473 employees and $96.8B in annual revenue, and currently carries a market capitalization of $800.0B. 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 Tesla (TSLA).
Compensation Breakdown
Elon Musk's $15.0M total compensation package for fiscal year 2025 includes $1.5M in base salary, $7.5M in stock awards, $1.8M in option awards, and $2.3M in bonus and non-equity incentives.
Compensation History
| Year | Salary | Bonus | Stock Awards | Options | Non-Equity | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1.5M | - | $7.5M | $1.8M | $2.3M | $1.6M | $15.0M |
| 2024 | $1.5M | - | $7.5M | $1.8M | $2.3M | $1.6M | $15.0M |
| 2023 | $1.5M | - | $7.5M | $1.8M | $2.3M | $1.6M | $15.0M |
| 2022 | $1.5M | - | $7.5M | $1.8M | $2.3M | $1.6M | $15.0M |
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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Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla (TSLA), earns $15.0M 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
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla (TSLA), earns $15.0M 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.
Tesla has a Pay-for-Performance Score of C (56/100). The company's 3-year total shareholder return is -4.0%, and the say-on-pay shareholder vote passed with 95.7% approval.
The CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio at Tesla is 231:1. The median worker at Tesla earns $65K per year, while CEO Elon Musk earns $15.0M in total compensation.
Tesla employs approximately 140,473 people. The company operates in the Automobiles industry within the Consumer Discretionary sector, generating $96.8B in annual revenue.