Using our CompanyIQ^® compensation database, we analyzed the top pay elements of S&P 500 CEO compensation based on the 368 2021 year-to-date (YTD) proxies released as of 4/18/22.

With nearly three-quarters of companies reporting, we looked at the following three elements of CEO pay as well as total compensation and found that:

• The average S&P 500 CEO salary YTD for 2021 is $1,234,114.
• The average S&P 500 CEO stock option award YTD for 2021 is $2,734,306
• The average S&P 500 CEO stock award YTD for 2021 is $9,301,580.
• The average S&P 500 CEO total compensation YTD is $17,457,605.

At $202,889,764, the highest stock option award so far in 2021 was to Warner Bros, Discovery CEO David Zaslav.

At $211,933,520, the highest stock award YTD in 2021 went to new Amazon CEO Andrew Jassy.