Methodology & Data Sources

Data Source

All data on PlainCEOPay comes from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) via EDGAR proxy statement filings (Form DEF 14A). Under Dodd-Frank Section 953(b), public companies are required to disclose the ratio of CEO compensation to median employee pay annually.

Source URL: sec.gov EDGAR

What We Extract from SEC Filings

• CEO Total Compensation — From the Summary Compensation Table: base salary, bonus, stock awards, option awards, non-equity incentive plan compensation, pension value changes, and all other compensation
• Median Employee Pay — The annual total compensation of the median-paid employee
• CEO Pay Ratio — The legally required ratio of CEO pay to median employee pay
• CFO Compensation — Where separately disclosed in the proxy filing

How We Process the Data

1. Download DEF 14A filings from SEC EDGAR for S&P 500, Russell 1000, and additional mid-cap companies
2. Extract the Summary Compensation Table and pay ratio disclosure sections using automated parsing
3. Validate extracted figures for consistency (e.g., CEO pay ratio = CEO pay ÷ median pay)
4. Map companies to SIC industry groups for sector-level benchmarking
5. Calculate industry medians and averages from the companies within each SIC group
6. Load into our search-optimized database

Industry Benchmarks

Industry benchmarks are simple medians and averages of all companies within each SIC industry group — not weighted by market cap or revenue. This shows where a typical company in that industry falls, giving context for evaluating individual company ratios. Industry-specific benchmarks are essential because compensation structures vary dramatically across sectors — technology companies tend to favor stock-based compensation, while financial services firms may emphasize cash bonuses.

Coverage

PlainCEOPay covers 2,071 public companies across 84 SIC industry groups, focused on S&P 500 and Russell 1000 constituents plus additional mid-cap companies with actively traded securities. Coverage spans all major industry sectors and includes companies from the most recent proxy filing season, providing the most current available data on executive compensation trends.

Limitations

• SEC allows companies flexibility in calculating median employee pay — methodologies vary (some exclude part-time workers, some use statistical sampling)
• Pay ratio comparisons across companies are informational only; different methodologies make direct comparisons imperfect
• Coverage focuses on larger public companies — private companies are not required to disclose pay ratios
• This is informational data only — not financial or investment advice

How the Source Agency Collects Data

The SEC requires all publicly traded companies to file proxy statements (Form DEF 14A) annually in advance of shareholder meetings. These filings must include the Summary Compensation Table detailing the total compensation of the five highest-paid named executive officers. Since 2018, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act also requires disclosure of the ratio of CEO compensation to median employee pay.

Companies calculate median employee pay using one of several SEC-permitted methodologies, which may include statistical sampling, use of tax or payroll records, and exclusion of certain non-U.S. employees. The flexibility in calculation methodology means that pay ratios are not perfectly comparable across companies, though they provide meaningful directional insight within industries.

Data Accuracy Commitment

PlainCEOPay presents SEC filing data without modification. Compensation figures, pay ratios, and industry benchmarks are computed directly from the disclosed values in proxy statements. We do not adjust for differences in calculation methodology or estimate unreported figures. If you find any data that appears incorrect, please contact us and we will verify against the SEC EDGAR source filing.

Contact

Questions about our methodology or found a data error? Reach us at hello@plainceopay.com or through our contact page.