The stark contrast between Australia's top CEOs and ordinary workers has come into sharp focus, with new data revealing a significant surge in executive pay. According to the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI), median realised pay for chief executives of the country's 100 largest companies rose by a substantial 16% to A$4.8 million in 2025, marking the highest median pay on record over the past 12 years.
The analysis covers take-home pay, including reported salaries, bonuses, vested shares, and other benefits. Among the top earners was Life360 founder Chris Hulls, who received a staggering A$47.7 million in realised pay, approximately 437 times the average earnings of a full-time adult worker in Australia. Other high-earning executives included Mick Farrell of ResMed and Robert Thomson of News Corp, who earned A$35.1 million and A$33.5 million respectively.
Notably, two Australian-based CEOs, Shemara Wikramanayake of Macquarie and Greg Goodman of Goodman, each had realised pay exceeding A$30 million, a threshold not met by any Australian-based CEO in the preceding year. Despite this surge in overall realised pay, ACSI's Louise Davidson suggested that Australian investors were largely effective in moderating executive compensation.
Fixed pay for CEOs in the top 100 companies saw a more modest 4% increase, reaching a median of A$1.83 million, which remains below 2012 levels. The significant uplift in total pay was primarily driven by bonuses, with the median ASX100 CEO receiving 70.7% of their maximum potential bonus. Only five CEOs missed out on their bonuses entirely, while nine executives received average termination payments of A$2.2 million each.
The widening gap between executive pay and that of ordinary workers also drew attention, with top chief executives continuing to earn 55 times the average Australian adult's weekly full-time earnings as of May 2025. This disparity is consistent with the previous year, although a reported slowdown in average earnings since May 2025 may have exacerbated this issue.
This news emerges amidst growing political tensions within Australia's Labor party. Senior Labor MP Ed Husic has cautioned his party that its current approach to questions surrounding Palestinian rights risks alienating voters and drawing parallels with the challenges faced by the Democratic Party in the United States.