Last year, the typical worker at Meta earned a median salary of $379,000 according to a recent company filing. This high median salary reflects the compensation of around 67,000 employees globally. In contrast, CEO Mark Zuckerberg received a staggering $24.4 million in 2023, primarily allocated towards personal security costs and other benefits.
Despite officially receiving a salary of just $1, Zuckerberg’s $24.4 million compensation package included significant expenses for personal security, private air travel, and other perks. The company justified these expenses by highlighting Zuckerberg’s status as the face of Meta and the impact of negative sentiment on the company being associated with him.
While Zuckerberg’s nominal salary may appear low compared to his overall compensation package, his vast wealth of $176 billion is mostly tied to his extensive ownership of Meta stock. The disparities in salaries at Meta and the generous compensation for top executives reflect the broader issues of income inequality within the tech industry.