When a CEO exits unexpectedly, the vacancy leaves room for someone to step up and prove his or her worth to the company.

Their worth, as it turns out, is about $1.6 million, on average, for an “interim CEO-ship” among those in the Russell 3000, according to public company intelligence provider MyLogIQ.

There have been 140 interim CEOs named over the past six years, and many of them were paid handsomely to step into their temporary roles, with median pay at just under $1 million — although the total comp was far lower than the $4.8 million median pay that permanent CEOs make annually in the Russell 3000.

As with pay trends for permanent CEOs, there are a number of factors that comp committees consider when determining comp for the interim CEO.