About PlainCEOPay — CEO Pay Ratio Data from SEC EDGAR

Our goal is to make CEO pay ratio data freely accessible to everyone. PlainCEOPay provides transparent access to SEC-required executive compensation disclosures — 2,071 public companies across 84 industries, sourced directly from EDGAR proxy statements (DEF 14A filings).

Our Data

All data comes directly from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) via EDGAR proxy statement filings (Form DEF 14A). This includes:

CEO Total Compensation: Base salary, bonuses, stock awards, option awards, incentive plan payouts, pension changes, and other compensation
Median Employee Pay: The annual total compensation of the median-compensated employee at each company
CEO Pay Ratio: The legally required CEO-to-median-worker compensation ratio
CFO Compensation: Total pay for Chief Financial Officers where disclosed
Industry Benchmarks: Median and average pay ratios and CEO compensation by SIC industry group

Methodology

We parse SEC EDGAR DEF 14A filings using automated extraction of the Summary Compensation Table and associated pay ratio disclosures. Data is validated for consistency and organized into searchable company profiles and industry benchmarks.

No data is modified, interpolated, or editorialized. The figures shown are exactly as disclosed in official SEC filings. Some variation exists because companies use different methodologies for calculating median employee pay (the SEC allows some flexibility).

Coverage

PlainCEOPay covers 2,071 public companies across 84 SIC industry groups, organized by most recently filed proxy data. Coverage focuses on S&P 500 and Russell 1000 constituents, plus additional mid-cap companies with actively traded securities.

Data Currency

PlainCEOPay currently displays data from the most recent annual proxy statement (DEF 14A) filings available on SEC EDGAR. Most companies file their proxies in the spring — typically February through April — for the preceding fiscal year. Our database reflects the latest available proxy data for each company.

Because companies file on different schedules (based on fiscal year end dates), the database is a rolling collection: some companies show data from their most recent fiscal year, while others may still show the prior year until their new proxy is filed. We update company records within 30 days of each new DEF 14A filing appearing on EDGAR. Like all SEC-based data, there is an inherent lag of 2-4 months between the end of the fiscal year and the availability of compensation disclosures.

Independence and Editorial Approach

PlainCEOPay is not affiliated with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or any government agency. We are an independent data portal providing public information in a more accessible format. We do not accept advertising from the companies we cover, we do not sell investment products, and we do not provide recommendations about any company's stock or governance practices.

The data on this portal is presented factually — we show what companies reported in their SEC filings and calculate industry benchmarks from that data. We do not editorialize about whether any specific CEO is overpaid or underpaid. Our role is to make the data accessible so that shareholders, journalists, researchers, and the public can form their own informed judgments. Always verify important figures with the official filings at SEC EDGAR.

How We Process SEC Filing Data

PlainCEOPay extracts CEO-to-worker pay ratio disclosures from SEC EDGAR proxy statements (DEF 14A filings). Each company's CEO total compensation, median employee pay, and the resulting ratio are captured directly from the filings. We then organize the data by SIC industry group to compute sector-level medians and averages, making it possible to see how a specific company's ratio compares against its peers.

CFO compensation is included where companies disclose it. Industry benchmarks are simple medians and averages of the companies within each SIC group — no weighting by company size or revenue. The goal is to give you the raw numbers from public filings in a searchable format, not to assign judgment about whether any given ratio is too high or too low.

Important Disclaimer

PlainCEOPay provides publicly available SEC data for informational purposes only. This is not investment advice, financial advice, or legal advice. The data presented comes from public government sources and is not a substitute for professional financial or investment consultation. Do not make investment decisions based solely on pay ratio data. Always review complete SEC filings and consult qualified professionals before making financial decisions.

Editorial Independence

Content on PlainCEOPay is compiled by our editorial team. Raw data from IRS, SEC, FDIC, NCUA, and related financial agencies is transformed into readable profiles by our continuous editorial pipeline, validated against the source before publication. The PlainCEOPay editorial team, operating under Kiznis Studio, is responsible for editorial standards, methodology, and corrections.

We do not accept payment, sponsorship, or promoted placement from financial firms, banks, advisors, or any covered entity. Our only revenue source is contextual display advertising served by Google AdSense — advertisers do not influence which entities we cover or how we present data, and they do not receive preferential placement.

Contact

For questions or feedback, email hello@plainceopay.com.