Tim Cook Made 533 Times More Than Apple Workers — But That's Over 10x Lower Than Some US CEOs

The annual total compensation of Apple CEO Tim Cook for 2025 was $74,294,811, with a pay ratio of 533:1 compared to median employees who earned $139,483. This disclosure complies with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission's requirement to report the ratio of a CEO's pay to that of the median worker.

At first glance, Cook's earnings seem staggering. However, they are modest compared to other CEOs' earnings.

Top executives with higher ratios include Shankh Mitra of Welltower, earning 6,569 times the median employee; John Wren of Omnicom, earning 1,219 times; and Marc Casper of Thermo Fisher Scientific, earning 1,120 times more than the median employee.

Aside from Mitra, Wren, and Casper, other CEOs earn far more than Cook. However, this does not imply that the pay ratio reflects each executive's efficiency in their role. Below is a breakdown of the CEOs with the earnings and sorted based on the ratios.

Cook Delivered for Apple

Although Cook was earning less than other top executives, there is no doubt the Apple chief performed his duties effectively. Since taking the helm in 2011, the company's performance in the last fiscal year attests to that.

In 2025, Apple earned roughly $461 billion in revenue. Compared to the previous year's $391 billion, this was a significant increase. Additionally, the EPS (Earnings per Share) rose from $6.11 to $7.49.

While the increase in revenue and EPS may not be extraordinary, they were certainly better than declining figures.

Proving Critics Wrong

After being named Steve Jobs' successor in 2011, questions arose about whether Cook could sustain or improve upon Jobs's legacy. The only way for him to put those doubts to rest was to demonstrate he was the right person to succeed Jobs. Cook did just that.

It took time, but his hard work paid off. From devices like the iPhone, iPod, and iPad, Cook expanded Apple's product lineup. The additions included the Apple Watch, Apple TV, AirPods, and Apple Pay, among others. He also focused on innovation and improving user experience, which helped solidify Apple's reputation.

By 2025, the results of his efforts were clear. Revenues grew from $108 billion in 2011 to $416 billion in 2025, quadrupling in size. A key product driving this growth was the iPhone.

Part of the improved earnings was due to Cook's focus on adding and enhancing existing products. Among all of Apple's offerings, the iPhone arguably stands out. After improvements to the original product introduced by Jobs, iPhone sales increased significantly—from $47 billion to $210 billion.

Beyond the iPhone, Cook also emphasized services such as the App Store, Apple Pay, and Apple Music. These services contributed substantially, generating $109 billion in revenue for the fiscal year 2025.

Apple's Future Looking Bright

Cook is set to retire in September, naming John Ternus, Apple's senior vice president of hardware engineering, as his replacement. However, he will remain with the company and serve as executive chairman of Apple's board of directors.

There is no doubt that Cook proved he was capable of continuing what Jobs started and delivering results. He has expanded Apple's products and services, and the future looks bright. However, everything will depend on whether Ternus can sustain and improve upon what Cook and Jobs began and help drive Apple's revenue even higher.