Home Depot, the largest retailer by market capitalization, has seen its share price reflect the rise in earnings over the years. The company is known for rewarding its C-suite executives handsomely for meeting internal targets, but it also pays attention to its frontline workers in its retail stores.
In fiscal 2025, Home Depot’s top executives were among the highest-paid employees. CEO Ted Decker had a base salary of $1.4 million, but with stock options and cash awards, his total compensation reached $16.19 million. Executive vice president Ann-Marie Campbell, who oversees U.S. stores, had a salary of $1 million, but her total compensation was seven times that amount.
The median compensation for Home Depot employees in fiscal 2025, which includes salary and stock awards, was $37,881. This was based on the hourly pay of an associate in the U.S. Decker’s compensation as CEO amounted to $16.19 million, resulting in a CEO pay ratio of 427 to 1. This ratio has decreased from five years earlier when it was 511 to 1.
In comparison to other companies like Nvidia, Home Depot’s CEO pay ratio is higher. Nvidia had a CEO pay ratio of 166 to 1 in fiscal 2025, with a median employee compensation of around $300,000.
Home Depot refers to its employees as associates, whether they work in stores or at the corporate headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. The retailer had about 472,400 associates at the end of fiscal 2025, with the majority working in the company’s 2,359 stores and being paid hourly.
On Home Depot’s careers page, there were almost 19,000 job listings for various roles in departments such as customer service/sales, distribution center and warehouse, merchandising, and support.
Beyond base pay, Home Depot provides benefits and incentives to retain its associates, including an employee stock purchase program. The home improvement retailer also offers opportunities for career advancement, with more than 90% of U.S. store leaders starting their careers as hourly associates.
In its early years, Home Depot’s stock price increased alongside sales and earnings, turning some associates into millionaires through stock incentive programs. A $10,000 investment on the first day of trading in 1981 would have returned $168 million as of mid-April 2026.
Overall, Home Depot’s approach to compensation and employee development demonstrates a commitment to rewarding both executives and frontline workers for their contributions to the company’s success.
