The Workers Rights 
The new CEO of Apple John Ternus has been offered a pay package that is estimated to be around $58 million, out of which $3 million will be annual base salary, while the rest $55 million will be in the form of target equity awards for fiscal 2027, according to the filing done at the US SEC. The filing was made on Apple’s 1st September, when Ternus formally replaced Tim Cook as the company’s CEO.
Quick Facts: Apple CEO Salary 2026
| Detail | Figure |
| CEO | John Ternus |
| Base Salary | $3,000,000/year |
| Target Equity Award (FY2027) | $55,000,000 |
| Total Target Package | ~$58,000,000 |
| FY2026 Prorated RSU | ~$2,500,000 |
| Performance-Based Equity % | 75% |
| Time-Based Equity % | 25% |
| Executive Chairman (Tim Cook) Package | ~$47,000,000 |
| The highest paid CEO last year (2025) is Tim Cook. | $74,300,000 |
Who Is John Ternus — Apple’s New CEO?
Before taking up the mantle of CEO of Apple, John Ternus had been serving the company as its Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering for many years. It was John Ternus who developed all the greatest hardware innovations of Apple, including the Apple Silicon chips and the latest range of iPhones. The departure of Tim Cook from his role as the executive chairman of the firm has ushered in an individual whose firm is worth over $4.5 trillion.
John Ternus is only the second ever CEO that has served at Apple since the firm was founded in 1976 to have left the firm in the past two decades after Cook succeeded Steve Jobs in 2011.
The 2026 Apple CEO Salary Package Analysis
The salary of John Ternus as the CEO of Apple in 2026 is a package which has been tailored in such a way that it ensures that the pay package of Ternus is performance-based and is dependent on how well Apple performs.
This is what it consists of:
- Base Salary: $3 million/year – same base pay as Cook
- FY2027 Prorated RSU: ~$2.6 million (last 6 months of the fiscal year until September 2027)
- FY2027 Target Equity: The firm will issue $55 million of RSUs as target equity in the next 3 years.
- 75% are RSUs that are performance-based, meaning they are tied to Apple’s total shareholder return (TSR), compared to other S&P 500 companies.
- 25% are time-based RSUs that vest in 4 equal half-yearly payouts.
In simple terms, the lion’s share of John Ternus’s pay as Apple’s CEO is tied to the company’s relative performance against other major companies listed in the United States, and not necessarily its longevity in the company.
Apple CEO Pay vs Employees: The Real Gap
Here lies the shocking part. The following Apple CEO pay vs employees comparison is a rough story. Based on recent public disclosures and industry benchmarks for the salaries of Apple’s global workforce, the median salary is around $85,000–$95,000 per year. That means the deal the company has made with its CEO is 600:1 or more compared to John Ternus’ $58 million target package.
Comparison Table: Apple Executive Pay vs Employee Pay
| Role | Annual Compensation (Approx.) |
| John Ternus — CEO | ~$58,000,000 (target) |
| Tim Cook is the Executive Chairman. | ~$47,000,000 |
| Estimated: Tim Cook’s previous position was Apple SVP. | ~$25,000,000 |
| Apple Software Engineer (Senior) | ~$200,000–$350,000 |
| Apple Retail Employee (avg.) | ~$45,000–$60,000 |
| Apple Median Employee | ~$85,000–$95,000 |
It’s a typical spread for John Ternus and the average Apple employee, however, and highlights Apple’s executive pay-to-worker ratio.
How Does Tim Cook’s New Pay Compare?
Tim Cook won’t be leaving empty-handed. His salary as Executive Chairman is:
- $2 million base salary (down from $3M as CEO)
- A total projected $45 million in stock awards to be distributed in fiscal 2027.
- 50% performance-based RSUs
- 50% of the RSUs are time-based and vest over a four-year period.
- Special retirement provision: Cook keeps the same shares on the same vesting schedule if he chooses to retire on or after the grant date, which is not generally provided for departing executives.
Cook has also seen a huge drop in compensation, from $74.3 million as CEO in 2025 to $34.3 million as Chairman.
Why Does the Apple CEO Pay Package Work This Way?
The compensation model of John Ternus is a common feature of compensation models in Big Tech firms: executive compensation tied to shareholder results. Ternus has 75% of his equity tied to the relative performance of Apple compared to the S&P 500, so he is only fully realising his gains when Apple does better than the rest.
It’s Apple’s take on the idea that you win when the shareholders win.
Both the focus on equity and the executive pay ratio indicate that should Apple’s stock not do well or do poorly, Ternus would end up earning far less than he aims for, which is $58 million.
Frequently Asked Questions on Apple CEO Salary 2026
How much does Apple pay its CEO, John Ternus?
John Ternus gets $3,000,000 annually. The total compensation package for John Ternus to be the Apple CEO in 2026 is estimated at about $58 million.
How much does an average Apple employee earn?
The CEO to employee pay ratio is around 600x or more because the average salary of Apple employees is about $85,000 to $95,000 per year.
How does John Ternus’ salary compare to Tim Cook?
Tim Cook got $74.3 million in 2025. However, Ternus’ target package is smaller and Cook’s new Executive Chairman package is even smaller at ~$47 million.
What are RSUs in the context of Apple CEO compensation?
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) are a type of equity compensation. They provide the owner with real Apple stock after a period of time or a performance level. Most of John Ternus’s RSU options are linked to how well Apple performs relative to the S&P 500.
Is the $58 million going to be the reality for John Ternus?
Not necessarily. The $58 million is just a target — his actual compensation from Apple as an equity component of the CEO’s total compensation will be linked to Apple’s stock price and its performance relative to its S&P 500 peers.
Singapore work trends, rights, pay, and career changes.
Can Project Managers Become Product Managers?
Check out the skills needed for a smooth career pivot.
What Rights Do Platform Workers Get?
Find out about CPF, insurance, and worker protections.
Why Are Workers Still Unpaid?
Uncover the warning signs behind unpaid Singapore wages.
How Do Migrants Support Singapore?
See how migrant workers strengthen Singapore’s economy.
Why Are Gig Workers Struggling?
Explore the financial pressures facing Singapore’s gig workforce.
