Charlie Scharf, CEO of Wells Fargo (WFC), earned $12.0M in total compensation in 2025. Wells Fargo receives a Pay-for-Performance grade of C (51/100), with a CEO-to-worker pay ratio of 185:1 and a say-on-pay shareholder approval of 85.1%. The company's 3-year total shareholder return is -10.1%.
How Wells Fargo CEO Pay Compares
Charlie Scharf's $12.0M total compensation is 20% below the Banks industry median of $15.0M. The 185:1 CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 32% lower than the industry average of 270:1.
Charlie Scharf, CEO of Wells Fargo (WFC), received $12.0M 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 is 185x, meaning Charlie Scharf's $12.0M total comp is roughly that many times the median $65,000 earned by Wells Fargo workers. The ratio is in the mid-range of S&P 500 disclosures and reflects the standard public-company compensation structure. Three-year performance has been negative: TSR of -10.1% and -1.9% revenue change. Significant CEO compensation alongside negative shareholder returns is the most controversial pay pattern and is the central case for proxy-advisor pay-for-performance opposition.
Say-on-pay support was strong at 85%. 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. Wells Fargo operates in Banks with 227,363 employees and $82.6B 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 Wells Fargo (WFC).
Compensation Breakdown
Charlie Scharf's $12.0M total compensation package for fiscal year 2025 includes $1.2M in base salary, $6.0M in stock awards, $1.4M in option awards, and $1.8M in bonus and non-equity incentives.
Compensation History
| Year | Salary | Bonus | Stock Awards | Options | Non-Equity | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1.2M | - | $6.0M | $1.4M | $1.8M | $1.3M | $12.0M |
| 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
Peer CEO Compensation
Charlie Scharf, CEO of Wells Fargo (WFC), earns $12.0M 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
Charlie Scharf, CEO of Wells Fargo (WFC), earns $12.0M 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.
Wells Fargo has a Pay-for-Performance Score of C (51/100). The company's 3-year total shareholder return is -10.1%, and the say-on-pay shareholder vote passed with 85.1% approval.
The CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio at Wells Fargo is 185:1. The median worker at Wells Fargo earns $65K per year, while CEO Charlie Scharf earns $12.0M in total compensation.
Wells Fargo employs approximately 227,363 people. The company operates in the Banks industry within the Financials sector, generating $82.6B in annual revenue.