---
title: 4 CEOs Make $9,000 Per Hour and Their Workers Want $15
description: A few companies have CEOs that earn 600 times what their employees are asking for.
authors:
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published: '2016-04-18T21:13:54.000Z'
modified: '2016-04-18T21:13:54.000Z'
section: Economy and Politics
tags:
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  - fight for 15
  - Minimum Wage
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word_count: 188
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> **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/).

!['Fight For $15' protest in New York](https://img.money.com/2016/04/gettyimages-469850520.jpg)
*NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - APRIL 15: A national movement 'Fight For $15' including workers and labor unions march to raise the minimum wage to $15/hour, at Colombus Square.*

While workers in retail and restaurants "fight for $15," how much do their CEOs make? At four companies in these industries, the answer is over 600 times the desired minimum.

According to [USA Today](http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/markets/2016/04/18/15-hour-these-retail-ceos-make-9000-hour/83049768/), which crunched the numbers of 76 companies using public data, the CEOs of CVS, L Brands (which owns Victoria's Secret), Starbucks, and Walmart all make more than $9,000 per hour, with CVS's Larry Merlo making the most at $13,914 an hour.

Other notable CEOs in the analysis included McDonald's boss Stephen Easterbrook, who netted $3,803 per hour. McDonald's employees are amongst the key groups pushing for the wage hike, given the company's massive size and reach.

While the top numbers are almost comically stark, the median is as well. A little back-of-the-envelope math from USA Today noted that it would take 23 days for a $15/hr earner to equal a single hour of median CEO pay in their industry, which is around $2,703.

USA Today noted that the pay for CVS' CEO has fallen slightly over the past year, but a company spokesperson told the paper that they still thought he earned every penny.

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