It pays to be a CEO.CEOs took home an average total of $22.98 million in 2024, according to a September report by the Economic Policy Institute that looked at the average compensation of CEOs at 350 of the largest publicly traded U.S. companies by revenue.That's up 6% compared with the year before, and a staggering 1,094% since 1978, when the average CEO took home around $1.9 million in pay and stock-based compensation sold throughout the year, the report says.Today, CEOs are paid an average of 281 times more than the "typical worker." The EPI defines a typical worker's salary as the average annual compensation of full-time workers in production and non-supervisory roles in industries the top 350 firms operate in.While that's down from 2021, when CEOs were paid an average of 409 times more than the typical worker, the CEO-to-worker compensation ratio was 60 just 35 years ago.The disparity has largely been driven by a shift to stock-based compensation packages, which tie how much executives are paid to how well their company performs in the public market. Additionally, CEOs have gained greater power to set their own pay, enabling them to negotiate higher compensation packages, the report said.The highest-paid CEOsLast year's highest-paid CEOs ran companies in a variety of industries, from defense and tech to food and financial services, according to a June report from executive compensation consulting firm Equilar. Equilar compared the 100 largest CEO pay packages at U.S. public companies that brought in at least $1 billion in 2024, the report said.The highest-paid CEO, Rick Smith, took home $164,525,721 last year from leading Axon, a defense weapon company that makes Tasers and body cameras.Other CEOs on the highest-paid list include Starbucks' Brian Niccol, Microsoft's Satya Nadella and the CEO of Apple, Tim Cook.Here are 2024's highest-paid CEOs among U.S. public companies with at least $1 billion in revenue, according to Equilar:Rick Smith, Axon Enterprise: $164,525,721Jim Anderson, Coherent: $101,497,009Brian Niccol, Starbucks: $95,801,676Larry Culp, GE Aerospace: $87,393,875Michael Arougheti, Ares Management: $85,381,842Satya Nadella, Microsoft: $79,106,183Tim Cook, Apple: $74,609,802Greg Lehmkuhl, Lineage: $69,341,442David Gitlin, Carrier Global: $65,554,845Ted Sarandos, Netflix: $61,922,397Want to be your own boss? Sign up for CNBC's new online course, How To Start A Business: For First-Time Founders. Find step-by-step guidance for launching your first business, from testing your idea to growing your revenue.Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It's newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life, and request to join our exclusive community on LinkedIn to connect with experts and peers.