Carl Eschenbach, CEO of Workday (WDAY), earned $25.0M in total compensation in 2026. Workday receives a Pay-for-Performance grade of A (94/100), with a CEO-to-worker pay ratio of 156:1 and a say-on-pay shareholder approval of 87.1%. The company's 3-year total shareholder return is +49.8%.
How Workday CEO Pay Compares
Carl Eschenbach's $25.0M total compensation is 59% above the Software industry median of $15.7M. The 156:1 CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 17% higher than the industry average of 134:1.
$25.0M is what Carl Eschenbach earned as CEO of Workday (WDAY). The package puts Carl Eschenbach among the most highly-compensated public-company CEOs in the U.S., a tier dominated by mega-cap technology and financial executives.
The CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio is 156x, meaning Carl Eschenbach's $25.0M total comp is roughly that many times the median $160,000 earned by Workday workers. The ratio is in the mid-range of S&P 500 disclosures and reflects the standard public-company compensation structure. Performance has been positive over the three-year window: TSR of 49.8% alongside 35.8% revenue growth. Compensation packages tied to relative TSR or absolute return benchmarks would have vested at or near target levels with this performance profile.
Shareholders supported the compensation package at 87% 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. Workday operates in Software with 18,800 employees and $8.2B in annual revenue, and currently carries a market capitalization of $65.0B. 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 Workday (WDAY).
Compensation Breakdown
Carl Eschenbach's $25.0M total compensation package for fiscal year 2026 includes $2.5M in base salary, $12.5M in stock awards, $3.0M in option awards, and $3.8M in bonus and non-equity incentives.
Compensation History
| Year | Salary | Bonus | Stock Awards | Options | Non-Equity | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $2.5M | - | $12.5M | $3.0M | $3.8M | $2.8M | $25.0M |
| 2025 | $2.5M | - | $12.5M | $3.0M | $3.8M | $2.8M | $25.0M |
| 2024 | $2.5M | - | $12.5M | $3.0M | $3.8M | $2.8M | $25.0M |
| 2023 | $2.5M | - | $12.5M | $3.0M | $3.8M | $2.8M | $25.0M |
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
Carl Eschenbach, CEO of Workday (WDAY), earns $25.0M 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
Carl Eschenbach, CEO of Workday (WDAY), earns $25.0M 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.
Workday has a Pay-for-Performance Score of A (94/100). The company's 3-year total shareholder return is +49.8%, and the say-on-pay shareholder vote passed with 87.1% approval.
The CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio at Workday is 156:1. The median worker at Workday earns $160K per year, while CEO Carl Eschenbach earns $25.0M in total compensation.
Workday employs approximately 18,800 people. The company operates in the Software industry within the Technology sector, generating $8.2B in annual revenue.