Ranking CFO Compensation: The Top Earners
Key Takeaways
- Vaibhav Taneja at Tesla is the highest paid CFO, with total hourly compensation reaching nearly $49,000
- CFOs at the Magnificent Seven tech giants all hold a spot in the top 10 ranking.
Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) juggle high-stakes decisions daily, from financial strategy to risk management. Their compensation reflects this pressure, but how much are the top earners making per hour?
This graphic, in partnership with Terzo, highlights the highest paid CFOs in America. It’s part of our Markets in a Minute series, which features quick economic insights for executives.
What a CFO’s Hour is Worth
Based on the 50 largest companies in the U.S., we’ve compiled a ranking of the 10 highest paid CFOs. Their hourly earnings reflect total compensation including salary, bonuses, stocks, stock options, and other items like retirement contributions.
Here’s how it breaks down, based on a 55-hour workweek.
| Company | CFO Name | CFO Compensation Per Hour |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla | Vaibhav Taneja | $48,767 |
| Alphabet | Ruth Porat, Anat Ashkenazi | $13,462 |
| Microsoft | Amy E. Hood | $10,308 |
| Amazon | Brian T. Olsavsky | $8,992 |
| Cisco | R. Scott Herren | $8,494 |
| Meta | Susan Li | $8,259 |
| Netflix | Spencer Neumann | $8,008 |
| NVIDIA | Colette M. Kress | $7,469 |
| Goldman Sachs | Denis Coleman | $7,370 |
| Apple | Luca Maestri, Kevan Parekh | $7,225 |
Source: company SEC filings as of January 14, 2025. Based on the latest fiscal year. In cases where a CFO changed mid-year, total compensation was prorated accordingly.
Tesla’s Vaibhav Taneja earns the highest hourly compensation in the ranking, at nearly $49,000 per hour. This outsized figure stems largely from a one-time award of stocks and stock options totaling over $139 million, in recognition of Taneja’s promotion to CFO. About 80% was granted in stock options, making the value of Taneja’s earnings heavily tied to Tesla’s stock price.
Anat Ashkenazi, CFO at Alphabet and Google, takes the second spot. She was appointed CFO on July 31, 2024, so we’ve prorated her salary along with Ruth Porat, who previously served in the role. Ashkenazi’s negotiated compensation included nearly $39 million in stock awards and a one-time cash sign-on bonus of nearly $10 million.
Trends Among CFOs With the Highest Compensation
The two highest earners were new to their roles, highlighting the negotiating power executives have when accepting a promotion or moving to another company.
It’s also worth noting that nine of the top 10 highest earners are in the technology space, including all of the Magnificent Seven. Goldman Sachs’ CFO is the sole executive from the financial services space in the compensation ranking.
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