HR Executive Pay Trends 2017

Executive Summary

AN EQUILAR REPORT, FEATURING COMMENTARY BY ALLEGIS PARTNERS

The top Human Resources (HR) executive position—typically the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO)—has evolved into a more essential part of corporate operations, particularly at the largest companies. The ability to balance short-term goals, such as meeting immediate talent management objectives, with long-term strategy is a critical aspect of the position, especially in the ever-changing business climate in which companies are currently operating. As a result, compensation paid to HR executives illustrates the unique and important role the HR department plays within a company.

According to data compiled for this report, as companies achieve larger revenues, pay for top HR executives is also higher. For example, the median total compensation for CHROs at companies with revenues greater than $15 billion was $2.1 million in 2016, while the median pay for HR executives at companies in the smallest revenue range—less than $1 billion—was just over $560,000. This difference in pay is likely due to the fact that as companies grow larger in size and perform a wider functional scope, HR executives will be asked to manage more moving parts and larger employee teams.

HR Executive Pay Trends analyzes compensation data for the top-paid HR executives at Equilar 500 companies, an index comprising the 500 largest U.S.-based or listed public companies. Download the report now and read Allegis Partners’ insights on the evolution of the CHRO role, what causes variations in HR executive pay, and recruiting practices to attract and retain top HR talent.