Costco Wholesale Executive Compensation (FY25)
COST · Executive and director compensation, fiscal 2022 to 2025
The paid brief on Costco Wholesale
Positioning against its disclosed peers, the governance read, incentive design, and the CD&A alignment analysis; the full peer table; a committee-ready PDF.
From $1,200 for the board report; $2,400 for both.
Data as of September 7, 2026Latest filing (8-K): January 21, 2026
13 filings cited on this page
Method: intel.velarion.ai/methodology
A report that fails to generate is refunded in full
Published by Velarion Company Intelligence
$1,500Get the executive brief
254 figures on this page: 245 cited to the filing that reported them, 9 calculated from figures it prints. See the citations
More on Costco Wholesale
Five data products on this company. Each one is requested through the developer setup page.
- Peer Disclosure Audit$5The comparison companies this board named, each one tied to the filing that lists it.How to get Peer Disclosure Audit
- Governance Provisions PullfreeThe governance provisions as the proxy states them: board leadership, committee membership, and shareholder rights.How to get Governance Provisions Pull
- Say-on-Pay Risk Signal$9A risk band for the next say-on-pay vote, with the support history and the peer comparison behind it.How to get Say-on-Pay Risk Signal
- NEO Comp Report$24Every named executive officer’s pay by element and year, with the citation behind each figure.How to get NEO Comp Report
- Board Comp Report$24What each non-employee director was paid, the standing fee schedule, and the equity each one holds at year end.How to get Board Comp Report
What changed from fiscal 2024 to fiscal 2025
The figures that moved, and by how much. Analysis of these figures is part of the Velarion platform.
Chief executive total compensation — Ron Vachris: $12,229,741 → $13,932,597 (13.9% higher)
Say-on-pay support: 94.7% → 88.0% (6.7 points lower)
CEO pay ratio: 262:1 → 283:1 (8.0% higher)
Frequently asked questions
Answers drawn from the data on this page.
Who is Costco Wholesale's chief executive and what were they paid?
Ron Vachris was paid $13,932,597 in total compensation as Chief Executive Officer, President and Director for fiscal 2025. Vachris' total moved 13.9% higher from the $12,229,741 reported for fiscal 2024.
What was Costco Wholesale's say-on-pay result?
The say-on-pay proposal drew 88.0% of votes cast for or against in favor at the meeting held January 15, 2026 for fiscal 2025.
Which companies are in Costco Wholesale's peer group?
The disclosed peer group names Best Buy Inc., BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc., CVS Health Corporation, Lowe's Companies, Inc. and Ross Stores Inc., among others.
What is Costco Wholesale's chief executive pay ratio?
The disclosed chief executive pay ratio for fiscal 2025 is 283:1, against median employee compensation of $49,232.
Executive compensation
Every element reported for each named executive officer, by fiscal year.
Fiscal 2022
| Officer | Salary | Bonus | Stock awards | Option awards | Non-equity incentive | Pension and deferred earnings | All other compensation | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W. Craig Jelinek Former Chief Executive Officer | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
Ron Vachris Chief Executive Officer, President and Director | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
Richard Galanti Executive Vice President, Former Chief Financial Officer | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
Russ Miller Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer - Warehouse Operations, U.S. and Mexico | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
Fiscal 2023
| Officer | Salary | Bonus | Stock awards | Option awards | Non-equity incentive | Pension and deferred earnings | All other compensation | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W. Craig Jelinek Chief Executive Officer | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
Ron Vachris Chief Executive Officer, President and Director | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
Richard Galanti Former Executive Vice President | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
Pierre Riel Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer - International Division | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ |
Russ Miller Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer - Warehouse Operations, U.S. and Mexico | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
Fiscal 2024
| Officer | Salary | Bonus | Stock awards | Option awards | Non-equity incentive | Pension and deferred earnings | All other compensation | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W. Craig Jelinek Former Chief Executive Officer Departed during or after this year | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | — | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
Gary Millerchip Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ |
Ron Vachris Chief Executive Officer, President and Director | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
Javier Polit Executive Vice President, Chief Information and Digital Officer | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ |
Richard Galanti Former Executive Vice President | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
Pierre Riel Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer - International Division | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ |
Russ Miller Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer - Warehouse Operations, U.S. and Mexico | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
Fiscal 2025
| Officer | Salary | Bonus | Stock awards | Option awards | Non-equity incentive | Pension and deferred earnings | All other compensation | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ron Vachris Chief Executive Officer, President and Director | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
Javier Polit Executive Vice President, Chief Information and Digital Officer | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ |
Gary Millerchip Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ |
Richard Galanti Former Executive Vice President Departed during or after this year | ◇ | — | ◇ | — | — | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
Pierre Riel Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer - International Division | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
Russ Miller Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer - Warehouse Operations, U.S. and Mexico | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | — | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
A dash means the company reported no figure in that column. $0 is shown only where the filing prints a zero. A negative change in pension value is shown but, as the company reports it, not included in the total.
Equity awards granted
Individual awards as disclosed: type, date, unit counts at each level, and grant date value.
Fiscal 2025
| Officer | Award | Grant date | Threshold units | Target units | Units granted | Maximum units | Exercise price | Grant date fair value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gary Millerchip | RSU | ◇ | — | — | ◇ | — | — | ◇ |
| Gary Millerchip | RSU | ◇ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Javier Polit | RSU | ◇ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Javier Polit | RSU | ◇ | — | — | ◇ | — | — | ◇ |
| Pierre Riel | RSU | ◇ | — | — | ◇ | — | — | ◇ |
| Pierre Riel | RSU | ◇ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Richard Galanti | RSU | ◇ | — | — | ◇ | — | — | ◇ |
| Richard Galanti | RSU | ◇ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ron Vachris | RSU | ◇ | — | — | ◇ | — | — | ◇ |
| Ron Vachris | RSU | ◇ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Russ Miller | RSU | ◇ | — | — | ◇ | — | — | ◇ |
| Russ Miller | RSU | ◇ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Fiscal 2023, 2024 are included in the PDF.
A dash means the company reported no figure in that column. $0 is shown only where the filing prints a zero. Threshold, target and maximum apply only to performance awards and are never shown for time-based or option awards.
Outstanding awards
Awards still held at fiscal year end.
As disclosed at fiscal 2025 year end
| Officer | Award | Unvested units | Market value of unvested units | Exercise price | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pierre Riel | RSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — |
| Ron Vachris | RSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — |
| RSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | |
| Gary Millerchip | RSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — |
| RSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | |
| RSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | |
| Javier Polit | RSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — |
| RSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | |
| RSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | |
| Richard Galanti | RSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — |
| Russ Miller | RSU | ◇ | ◇ | — | — |
A dash means the company reported no figure in that column. $0 is shown only where the filing prints a zero.
Director compensation
What each non-employee director was paid.
Fiscal 2025
| Director | Fees earned in cash | Stock awards | Option awards | Non-equity incentive | Pension and deferred earnings | All other compensation | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jeffrey S. Raikes | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | — | — | ◇ |
Hamilton E. James Board chair | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | — | — | ◇ |
Helena B. Foulkes | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | — | — | ◇ |
Susan L. Decker | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | — | — | ◇ |
Kenneth D. Denman | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | — | — | ◇ |
Mary Agnes (Maggie) Wilderotter | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | — | — | ◇ |
John W. Stanton | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | — | — | ◇ |
Sally Jewell | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | — | — | ◇ |
W. Craig Jelinek | ◇ | ◇ | — | — | — | — | ◇ |
Ron M. Vachris and Gina M. Raimondo served on the board in fiscal 2025 and received no compensation for board service. Executive directors are typically paid through their executive roles, shown above.
Earlier years are included in the PDF.
A dash means the company reported no figure in that column. $0 is shown only where the filing prints a zero.
Director fee schedule
The standing retainers and premiums the board pays, as published.
| Board cash retainer | ◇ |
| Board equity retainer | ◇ |
| Total board retainer | ◇ |
Equity is delivered as restricted stock units.
Disclosed peer group
The companies this board named as its compensation comparison group. The list is disclosure; the comparison is analysis.
Fiscal 2025
- Best Buy Inc. BBY
- BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. BJ
- CVS Health Corporation CVS
- Lowe's Companies, Inc. LOW
- Ross Stores Inc. ROST
- Target Corporation TGT
- The Home Depot, Inc. HD
- The Kroger Company KR
- The TJX Companies, Inc. TJX
- Walmart Inc. WMT
- Wesfarmers Ltd. symbol not shown
Say-on-pay history
Shareholder support for the compensation program, by year.
| Year | Meeting | Support | Votes for | Votes against | Abstentions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | January 15, 2026 | = | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
| 2024 | January 23, 2025 | = | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
| 2023 | January 18, 2024 | = | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
| 2022 | January 19, 2023 | = | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
| 2021 | January 20, 2022 | = | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
| 2019 | January 22, 2020 | = | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
| 2018 | January 24, 2019 | = | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
| 2017 | January 30, 2018 | = | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
| 2016 | January 26, 2017 | = | ◇ | ◇ | ◇ |
Chief executive pay ratio
As calculated and reported by the company.
Ratio
◇
Median employee compensation
◇
Chief executive total compensation
◇
What this page does not include
Everything above is a fact Costco Wholesale disclosed, and it is free. Everything below is our analysis of those facts, and it is not.
Peer benchmarking
Where Costco Wholesale sits against its disclosed peers — percentile position by role and by pay element, and the ranking behind it. The disclosed peer group is free; comparisons across it are part of the Velarion platform.
Executive Compensation Report — $1,500Written compensation analysis
A read of the pay program as designed and as paid: incentive structure, goal rigor, the alignment between the committee's stated philosophy and what the numbers show.
Executive Compensation Report — $1,500Board and governance analysis
Committee composition, independence, director pay positioning, and the governance provisions read together rather than listed.
Board Governance Report — $1,200Realizable pay
What the awards above are actually worth today against what they were valued at on grant, and what the gap says about the pay-for-performance link.
Velarion IntelligenceAdviser switching and vote outcomes
Two datasets covering compensation-adviser changes and what followed a contested vote. Both are part of the Velarion platform.
Inquire about accessMultiple companies at once
Cross-company views, cohort screens, and data export across the industries we cover. This page is one company; the platform is all of them.
Velarion IntelligenceCitations
Every figure on this page is cited to the document that reported it. Select any figure to see its citation.
254 figures on this page: 245 cited to the filing that reported them, 9 calculated from figures it prints.
245 cited to the filing
9 calculated from the filing
Documents cited
- 0000909832-26-000016Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
- 0000909832-25-000159CEO Pay Ratio · Compensation of Directors · FISCAL 2025 DIRECTOR COMPENSATION · Fiscal 2025 Grants of Plan-Based Awards · and 2 more sections
- 0000909832-25-000005
- 0000909832-24-000072SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE
- 0000909832-24-000003
- 0000909832-23-000058SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE · Summary Compensation Table
- 0000909832-23-000007
- 0000909832-22-000023Summary Compensation Table
- 0001193125-22-016856
- 0001193125-20-017134
- 0001193125-19-022426
- 0001193125-18-031999
- 0001193125-17-027552
Cite this data
This page is free to cite. Attribution we ask for:
Velarion, “Costco Wholesale executive compensation, FY2022–FY2025.” https://intel.velarion.ai/comp/COST (accessed 2026).
Short form: data: Velarion
The paid brief for Costco Wholesale
Positioning against its disclosed peers, the governance read, incentive design, and the CD&A alignment analysis; the full peer table; a committee-ready PDF.
From $1,200 for the board report; $2,400 for both.
13 filings cited on this page
Method: intel.velarion.ai/methodology
A report that fails to generate is refunded in full
Published by Velarion Company Intelligence
Embed this data
A small, cited view of this data for your own page or newsletter. Every embed carries a visible link back here, so the attribution travels with it.
The headline figures, each with its citation.
Connect an AI assistant
Ask your own assistant about Costco Wholesale and roughly 3,000 other US public companies, and get back the same figures on this page with the same citations. Free read access, no account. Add this to your assistant's connector settings.
Peers Costco Wholesale discloses
The companies named in COST's own disclosed peer group.
Terms on this page
Free to read and cite. Redistribution or bulk use of the dataset requires a data license. Talk to us about the data license.
Cite this data
APA
Velarion Company Intelligence. (2026). Velarion database: executive and board compensation data (Version 2026Q3) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22283854
BibTeX
@misc{velarionData2026,
author = {{Velarion Company Intelligence}},
title = {Velarion database: executive and board compensation data},
year = {2026},
version = {2026Q3},
doi = {10.5281/zenodo.22283854},
publisher = {Zenodo},
url = {https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22283854}
}