Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
McDonald's makes 3,101 times as much as the median worker.
- Fast-food CEOs have been slammed for making exponentially more than workers at their companies.
- Public companies are now required to report the ratio between the salaries of the company's CEO and its "median" worker.
- At McDonald's, the CEO makes 3,101 times as much as the median worker, while Starbucks' CEO makes 1,049 times the average employee.
- Here is how some of the biggest names in fast food stack up.
As fast-food workers fight to make $15 an hour, many CEOs have been slammed for their multimillion-dollar salaries.
Last year, the Securities and Exchange Committee made it mandatory for public companies to disclose the ratio of pay between their chief executive and "median" worker.
Read more: These 13 companies you've never heard of control dozens of the most popular chains in the world, from Burger King to Taco Bell
Companies often include a number of caveats in these filings. At most fast-food companies, the "median" worker - as determined by pay - is not a full-time worker, meaning that they likely work roughly 20 to 25 hours a week. It is difficult to directly compare fast-food rivals, as many mega-chains are franchised, meaning most in-store workers do not actually work directly for the company and therefore would not be included in calculations.
Further, CEOs typically are compensated in bonuses and stock on top of their base salary. For example, 90% of McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook's compensation is directly tied to the company's performance.
All caveats aside, the gap between CEO and the average worker is stark. For every $1 the average Starbucks worker made in 2018, CEO Kevin Johnson made $1,049 - and the gap was even greater at other fast-food industry giants.
Here is how 12 of the biggest names in fast food stack up when it comes to CEO-to-median worker pay.