General Motors had a particularly strong 2025, increasing its US sales by 6% to 2.83 million vehicles. That was well ahead of Ford’s 2.2 million deliveries. GM’s rising sales were accompanied by a higher stock price, which also helped lift the compensation of CEO Mary Barra.
Pay packages for executives at America’s automakers have long attracted controversy, particularly as top leaders continue to receive substantial increases while factory workers generally see only modest raises. Barra’s 2025 compensation was the highest of her tenure, which began when she took charge of GM in 2014.
Barra’s total compensation reached $48.2 million in 2025, up 61.7% from the $29.8 million she received in 2024. The increase did not come from a major salary adjustment: her base pay has stayed at $2.1 million since 2017.
GM’s Stock Gains Lift Barra’s Pay
The biggest factor behind Barra’s record compensation was the roughly twofold increase in gains from stock options and awards in 2024. That result reflected GM’s strong share-price performance during the year. GM stock stood at about $51.77 at the beginning of 2025, fell below $44 in April, then recovered to finish the year above $83.
How Did Ford CEO Jim Farley Compare?
Conditions were less favorable at GM’s Detroit rival, Ford. CEO Jim Farley received $16.7 million in total compensation last year, about one-third of Barra’s package. Although that sum could buy a mansion in one of the US’s most expensive areas—or approximately 417 entry-level Ford F-150s—it was 39.4% below the $27 million he received in 2024. Farley’s base salary, like Barra’s, remained unchanged at $1.7 million.
Farley’s 2025 compensation included $8.07 million in stock award gains and $5.74 million from bonus and incentive plans.
Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe was the third-highest-paid leader among US-based automakers. Reports earlier this year claimed he received $403 million in total compensation last year, but Auto News reports that his actual compensation was $12.3 million. The $373.5 million in stock options announced for Rivian’s founder in April will be paid only if the company’s share price reaches at least $40 within the next decade.
Mary Barra received $48.2 million in total compensation from General Motors in 2025, a 61.7% increase from the prior year, largely because of stock-related gains rather than a higher salary. Ford CEO Jim Farley earned $16.7 million, while Rivian’s RJ Scaringe received $12.3 million; his potential $373.5 million stock award depends on major future gains in Rivian’s share price.
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