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Artificial intelligence (AI) is making headlines around the United States. The release of OpenAI's ChatGPT sparked a renaissance of generative AI, fueling a wave of innovation and transforming how people think about technology. Organizations and individuals alike are beginning to recognize AI's potential to streamline work and enhance everyday life. With usage covering nearly every industry, AI has quickly shifted from an experimental tool to a strategic priority.
As AI adoption accelerates, companies are creating senior leadership roles focused on this emerging technology—positions that didn't exist just a few years ago. Top AI officer positions and other high-level executives are tasked with overseeing the development, strategy and implementation of AI technologies while ensuring that initiatives align with overarching business objectives. Their role is to not only drive innovation but to also provide accountability and governance for responsible AI usage.
In light of these trends, Equilar analyzed the compensation of AI executives using data from its 2025 Top 50 Survey, which collects data on the top 50 highest-paid executives across participating companies.
Among companies disclosing compensation for AI executives, the median pay package lands at $1.6 million. Executives in the 25th percentile earn around $700,000, while those in the 75th percentile take home about $2.5 million. Even at the lower end, the 10th percentile sits at $567,235, and the 90th percentile approaches $3.5 million.
For AI executives, base salary makes up the largest portion of pay, with a median of $439,375. Median time-based stock awards come next at $242,997, followed by annual cash bonuses of $191,307 and performance incentives of $90,186. Stock options were absent at the median, highlighting a stronger reliance on restricted stock and cash-based compensation.
The rise of these new AI-focused leadership roles signals how companies are approaching technology and strategy. As organizations continue to integrate these emerging tools into their operations, the presence of senior AI executives will be critical. What was once a nascent field is rapidly developing into a core component of corporate leadership, shaping the future of how businesses compete and grow in this new age of AI.
Associate Editor
Joyce Chen, Associate Editor at Equilar, authored this post. Weige Wu, Senior Research Analyst, provided data and analysis. Please contact Amit Batish, Senior Director of Content & Communications, at abatish@equilar.com for more information on Equilar research and data analysis.
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