Customers outraged by wage gap between Starbucks CEO and workers

Starbucks customers have a bitter taste in their mouths after learning the coffee giant’s CEO earned nearly 1,800 times more than the average worker last year.

Brian Niccol, who took over as Starbucks’ chief executive in 2024, received total compensation of nearly $31 million in 2025 – while the median annual pay of the company’s employees was just $17,279.

In other words, Niccol’s pay was 1,794 times higher than the median Starbucks worker, according to an analysis of corporate filings by Restaurant Dive.

The eye-popping pay gap has reignited debate over executive compensation at one of America’s biggest coffee chains, where the median employee is a part-time barista, according to Starbucks.

Niccol’s compensation package came after Starbucks recruited him from Chipotle Mexican Grill in 2024 to spearhead a turnaround as the company battled slowing sales, declining customer traffic and pressure from workers seeking higher pay.

His 2025 compensation included salary, stock awards and performance incentives, making him one of the highest-paid restaurant executives in the US.

The pay disparity comes as Starbucks pushes ahead with its ‘Back to Starbucks’ turnaround strategy, aimed at improving the customer experience, speeding up service and rebuilding relationships with employees after years of criticism over staffing and working conditions.

When details of Niccol’s compensation first emerged, the figures quickly spread across social media, with users on Reddit’s Starbucks forum criticizing the gap between executive pay and baristas’ wages.

Starbucks customers are facing a bitter aftertaste after learning the coffee giant’s CEO Brian Niccol earned nearly 1,800 times more than the average worker last year

Niccol, who took over as Starbucks’ chief executive in 2024, received total compensation of nearly $31 million in 2025 while the company’s median employee earned just $17,279,

Niccol’s 2025 compensation included salary, stock awards and performance incentives, making him one of the highest-paid restaurant executives in the US

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Many commenters pointed to the demands placed on store employees, including understaffed shifts, heavy workloads and long lines, while questioning whether workers would benefit from the company’s turnaround.

One user wrote: ‘Meanwhile their front-line employees get raises that can be easily counted in dimes, nickels and pennies.’

Niccol was hired in 2024 after Starbucks faced falling sales and mounting pressure from investors to revive growth.

He started in September 2024, and the company granted him a $96 million compensation package for four months of employment that year.

That was mostly made up of $90 million in stock awards – plus a $5 million signing bonus and a buyout payment to his former company, Chipotle.

When this news emerged earlier this year, one Reddit user wrote: ‘How is it possible to justify giving $96 million to someone for running coffee shops? And not even doing a good job.’ 

‘You could dramatically change 100 people’s lives with $96 million instead of giving it to one guy who doesn’t even need it.’

The company has stated that its executive compensation packages are designed to attract and retain leaders capable of delivering long-term performance.