Updated April 2026 · SEC DEF 14A data
Networking, CEO Pay Comparison
CEOs in the Networking sector earn an average of $23.6M per year across 2 tracked public companies. The average CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 181:1, and the average say-on-pay shareholder vote approval is 93.1%.
2 companies tracked · sector rank #7 of 99 for average compensation
Networking covers 2 U.S. public companies in our SEC proxy-statement dataset. Average CEO compensation in the industry runs $23.6M, with a median of $29.1M — the spread between mean and median is wide because a handful of mega-cap firms pull the average well above the median. Average CEO-to-worker pay ratio in Networking is 181x, with average say-on-pay approval of 93%. The highest-paid CEO in the industry is at Cisco Systems, with total compensation of $29.1M.
Industry-level CEO pay analysis is most useful for peer-group comparisons. Compensation committees explicitly select peer groups when setting CEO pay, so cross-industry comparisons need to control for the peer-group structure that drives the underlying decisions.
What Networking Pay Looks Like
$23.6M sits in the upper tier of U.S. CEO compensation — rank 7 of 99 sectors. Long-term equity is still the dominant component, but base salary and annual cash incentives carry more weight here than at the top of the market.
A 181:1 average ratio is on the lower side for U.S. industry. Sectors with ratios below 200:1 are typically those with highly compensated median workers — financial services, technology, biotech, and specialized professional services.
An average say-on-pay approval of 93.1% is healthy. ISS and Glass Lewis routinely recommend "for" at companies in this band, and outright pushback is uncommon. Pay-for-Performance grades are mixed in Networking: roughly 0% A, 0% F, with the remainder split between B, C, and D. Outcomes vary by individual company governance rather than a sector-wide pattern.
Highest Paid CEOs in Networking
Cisco Systems
CEO: Chuck Robbins
Arista Networks
CEO: Jayshree Ullal
How Networking Stacks Up Against Other Sectors
Across the 99 sectors tracked by CEOPayWatch, Networking ranks #7 in average CEO compensation and #22 in average CEO-to-worker pay ratio. Sector-level rankings are computed from the same SEC-disclosed Summary Compensation Table figures used on individual company profiles, so the rank reflects where this industry's median pay package sits in the live distribution rather than a stale annual snapshot. The cross-sector average compensation is $12.2M, which puts Networking $11.4M above the typical industry baseline.
The dispersion within an industry frequently matters more than the cross-sector ranking. A sector can have a high average compensation driven by two or three mega-pay outliers while the median company is paid modestly. The companies listed above show the top of the pay distribution for Networking; the full company list further down shows the broader distribution. Both lists link to individual company profiles where the source DEF 14A on SEC EDGAR is one click away.
All Networking Companies
How These Sector Numbers Are Calculated
The Networking averages and medians on this page are simple unweighted statistics across the 2 companies CEOPayWatch tracks in the sector. Average and median compensation come from each company's most recent reported total comp in its DEF 14A Summary Compensation Table. Average pay ratio comes from each company's Item 402(u) disclosure. Average say-on-pay approval is the most recent vote share reported in each company's 8-K following its annual meeting. The Pay-for-Performance Grade distribution is computed at the company level from the four-factor composite documented on the methodology page. Authoritative governance context for shareholder votes comes from Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis frameworks.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Networking CEOs earn?
Average CEO total compensation in Networking is $23.6M, with a median of $29.1M across 2 tracked public companies. $23.6M sits in the upper tier of U.S. CEO compensation — rank 7 of 99 sectors. Long-term equity is still the dominant component, but base salary and annual cash incentives carry more weight here than at the top of the market.
What is the average CEO-to-worker pay ratio in Networking?
Networking reports an average CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio of 181:1. A 181:1 average ratio is on the lower side for U.S. industry. Sectors with ratios below 200:1 are typically those with highly compensated median workers — financial services, technology, biotech, and specialized professional services. The pay-ratio number is required disclosure under SEC Regulation S-K Item 402(u).
Do shareholders approve of Networking CEO pay packages?
Average say-on-pay shareholder approval in Networking is 93.1%. An average say-on-pay approval of 93.1% is healthy. ISS and Glass Lewis routinely recommend "for" at companies in this band, and outright pushback is uncommon.
Where does the Networking pay data come from?
Every figure on this page is sourced from public SEC DEF 14A proxy statements filed annually with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Summary Compensation Table inside each filing is the authoritative document, available on the SEC EDGAR system at https://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml. Pay-ratio disclosure follows Regulation S-K Item 402(u). Say-on-pay vote totals come from each company's 8-K filed within four business days of the annual meeting.
How does Networking compare to other sectors?
Among the 99 sectors CEOPayWatch tracks, Networking ranks #7 in average CEO compensation and #22 in average pay ratio. Compensation in the sector runs $11.4M above the cross-sector average of $12.2M.
Source: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, DEF 14A proxy filings via EDGAR. Public domain.
Last updated 2026-04-06 · 2 companies in the Networking sector.