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Materials & Chemicals

Nucor Executive Compensation (FY25)

NUE · Charlotte, NC · Executive and director compensation, fiscal 2022 to 2025
Chief executive, fiscal 2025
◇
Leon J. Topalian
Latest say-on-pay support
=
May 14, 2026
Chief executive pay ratio
◇
To the median employee
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Data as of October 27, 2026Latest filing (EX-10): June 22, 2026
15 filings cited on this page
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Published by Velarion Company Intelligence
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334 figures on this page: 324 cited to the filing that reported them, 10 calculated from figures it prints. See the citations
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 — Leon J. Topalian: $19,024,088 → $14,945,471 (21.4% lower)
Say-on-pay support: 86.4% → 95.3% (8.9 points higher)
CEO pay ratio: 193:1 → 112:1 (42.0% lower)

Frequently asked questions

Answers drawn from the data on this page.
Who is Nucor's chief executive and what were they paid?
Total compensation for Leon J. Topalian, Chair, President and CEO, came to $14,945,471 in fiscal 2025. Topalian's total was 21.4% lower than the $19,024,088 reported for fiscal 2024.
What was Nucor's say-on-pay result?
For fiscal 2025, shareholders backed the say-on-pay proposal with 95.3% of votes cast including abstentions in favor at the meeting held May 14, 2026.
Which companies are in Nucor's peer group?
Companies named in the disclosed peer group include 3M Company, Caterpillar Inc., Cleveland-Cliffs Inc., Cummins Inc. and Danaher Corporation, among others.
What is Nucor's chief executive pay ratio?
For fiscal 2025, the company reported a chief executive pay ratio of 112:1, against median employee compensation of $133,886.

Executive compensation

Every element reported for each named executive officer, by fiscal year.
Fiscal 2022
OfficerSalaryBonusStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentivePension and deferred earningsAll other compensationTotal
Leon Topalian
Chair, President and CEO
◇—◇◇◇—◇◇
Daniel Needham
Executive Vice President
◇—◇◇◇—◇◇
K. Rex Query
Executive Vice President
◇—◇◇◇—◇◇
David Sumoski
Chief Operating Officer
◇—◇◇◇—◇◇
Stephen Laxton
Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President
◇—◇◇◇—◇◇
Fiscal 2023
OfficerSalaryBonusStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentivePension and deferred earningsAll other compensationTotal
Leon Topalian
Chair, President and CEO
◇—◇◇◇—◇◇
Daniel Needham
Executive Vice President
◇—◇◇◇—◇◇
K. Rex Query
Executive Vice President
◇—◇◇◇—◇◇
David Sumoski
Chief Operating Officer
◇—◇◇◇—◇◇
Stephen Laxton
Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President
◇—◇◇◇—◇◇
Fiscal 2024
OfficerSalaryBonusStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentivePension and deferred earningsAll other compensationTotal
Leon Topalian
Chair, President and CEO
◇—◇◇◇—◇◇
Daniel Needham
Executive Vice President
◇—◇◇◇—◇◇
K. Rex Query
Executive Vice President
◇—◇◇◇—◇◇
Stephen Laxton
Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President
◇—◇◇◇—◇◇
Allen Behr
Executive Vice President
◇—◇◇◇—◇◇
Fiscal 2025
OfficerSalaryBonusStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentivePension and deferred earningsAll other compensationTotal
Leon J. Topalian
Chair, President and CEO
◇—◇◇◇—◇◇
Stephen D. Laxton
CFO and Executive Vice President
◇—◇◇◇—◇◇
David A. Sumoski
Chief Operating Officer
◇—◇◇◇—◇◇
Daniel R. Needham
Executive Vice President - Commercial
◇—◇◇◇—◇◇
K. Rex Query
Executive Vice President - Strategy
◇—◇◇◇—◇◇
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
OfficerAwardGrant dateThreshold unitsTarget unitsUnits grantedMaximum unitsExercise priceGrant date fair value
Daniel R. NeedhamRSU◇——◇——◇
Daniel R. NeedhamRSU◇——◇——◇
Daniel R. NeedhamPSU◇◇◇—◇—◇
Daniel R. NeedhamOPTION◇——◇—◇◇
David A. SumoskiOPTION◇——◇—◇◇
David A. SumoskiRSU◇——◇——◇
David A. SumoskiRSU◇——◇——◇
David A. SumoskiPSU◇◇◇—◇—◇
K. Rex QueryOPTION◇——◇—◇◇
K. Rex QueryPSU◇◇◇—◇—◇
K. Rex QueryRSU◇——◇——◇
Leon J. TopalianPSU◇◇◇—◇—◇
Leon J. TopalianRSU◇——◇——◇
Leon J. TopalianRSU◇——◇——◇
Leon J. TopalianOPTION◇——◇—◇◇
Stephen D. LaxtonRSU◇——◇——◇
Stephen D. LaxtonOPTION◇——◇—◇◇
Stephen D. LaxtonPSU◇◇◇—◇—◇
Stephen D. LaxtonRSU◇——◇——◇
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
OfficerAwardUnvested unitsMarket value of unvested unitsExercise priceExpires
Leon J. TopalianRSU◇◇——
Option◇—◇5/31/35
PSU◇◇——
Option◇—◇5/31/33
Option◇—◇5/31/34
PSU◇◇——
K. Rex QueryRSU◇◇——
PSU◇◇——
Option◇—◇5/31/35
PSU◇◇——
Option◇—◇5/31/33
Option◇—◇5/31/34
David A. SumoskiRSU◇◇——
PSU◇◇——
Option◇—◇5/31/35
PSU◇◇——
Option◇—◇5/31/33
Option◇—◇5/31/34
Stephen D. LaxtonRSU◇◇——
PSU◇◇——
Option◇—◇5/31/35
PSU◇◇——
Option◇—◇5/31/33
Option◇—◇5/31/34
Daniel R. NeedhamRSU◇◇——
PSU◇◇——
Option◇—◇5/31/35
PSU◇◇——
Option◇—◇5/31/33
Option◇—◇5/31/34
A dash means the company reported no figure in that column. $0 is shown only where the filing prints a zero.

Severance and change in control

The terms as written in the agreements.
Daniel R. Needham
Executive Vice President of Nucor Corporation · Severance agreement
Severance base◇
Change-in-control multiple◇
Benefits continuation on change in control◇
Non-compete period◇
Non-solicit period◇
Clawback◇
David A. Sumoski
Executive Vice President of Nucor Corporation · Severance agreement
Change-in-control multiple◇
Benefits continuation on change in control◇
Non-compete period◇
Non-solicit period◇
Clawback◇

Director compensation

What each non-employee director was paid.
Fiscal 2025
DirectorFees earned in cashStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentivePension and deferred earningsAll other compensationTotal
Christopher J. Kearney
Lead independent director
◇◇————◇
Laurette T. Koellner
◇◇————◇
Patrick J. Dempsey
◇◇————◇
Norma B. Clayton
◇◇————◇
Nicholas C. Gangestad
◇◇————◇
Nadja Y. West
◇◇————◇
Michael W. Lamach
◇◇————◇
Leon J. Topalian, Daniel R. Needham and K. Rex Query 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◇
Lead independent director premium◇
Audit committee chair◇
Compensation committee chair◇
Nominating and governance chair◇
Equity is delivered as Shares of common stock (or deferred 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
  • 3M Company MMM
  • Caterpillar Inc. CAT
  • Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. CLF
  • Cummins Inc. CMI
  • Danaher Corporation DHR
  • Deere & Company DE
  • Eaton Corporation plc ETN
  • Emerson Electric Co. EMR
  • Freeport-McMoRan Inc. FCX
  • General Dynamics Corporation GD
  • Honeywell International Inc. HON
  • Illinois Tool Works Inc. ITW
  • International Paper Company IP
  • Northrop Grumman Corporation NOC
  • PACCAR Inc. PCAR
  • Parker-Hannifin Corporation PH
  • PPG Industries, Inc. PPG
  • Steel Dynamics, Inc. STLD
  • Textron Inc. TXT
  • Trane Technologies plc TT
  • United States Steel Corporation X

Say-on-pay history

Shareholder support for the compensation program, by year.
YearMeetingSupportVotes forVotes againstAbstentions
2025May 14, 2026=◇◇◇
2024May 8, 2025=◇◇◇
2023May 9, 2024=◇◇◇
2022May 11, 2023=◇◇◇
2021May 12, 2022=◇◇◇
2020May 13, 2021=◇◇◇
2019May 14, 2020=◇◇◇
2018May 9, 2019=◇◇◇
2017May 10, 2018=◇◇◇
2016May 11, 2017=◇◇◇

Chief executive pay ratio

As calculated and reported by the company.
Ratio
◇
Median employee compensation
◇
Chief executive total compensation
◇

Ask our research desk — $99, 24h, every figure cited to its filing.

Sample answer — “What is the CEO’s total compensation?”
- Leon J. Topalian (Chair, President and CEO), FY2025 total compensation $14,945,471 (base salary $1,560,000) [exec_comp, SEC accession 0001193125-26-127739, filed 2026-03-27]

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What this page does not include

Everything above is a fact Nucor disclosed, and it is free. Everything below is our analysis of those facts, and it is not.
Peer benchmarking
Where Nucor 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.
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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.
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Board and governance analysis
Committee composition, independence, director pay positioning, and the governance provisions read together rather than listed.
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Realizable 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.
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Citations

Every figure on this page is cited to the document that reported it. Select any figure to see its citation.
334 figures on this page: 324 cited to the filing that reported them, 10 calculated from figures it prints.
324 cited to the filing
10 calculated from the filing

Documents cited

  1. 0001193125-26-277574
    Exhibit
  2. 0001193125-26-253839
    Exhibit
  3. 0001193125-26-230790
  4. 0001193125-26-127739
    Director Compensation · Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table · Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End Table · Pay Ratio Disclosure · and 1 more section
  5. 0001193125-25-119835
  6. 0001193125-25-060939
    Summary Compensation Table
  7. 0001193125-24-138331
  8. 0001193125-24-074670
    Summary Compensation Table
  9. 0001193125-23-143591
  10. 0001193125-22-151881
  11. 0001193125-21-163768
  12. 0001193125-20-145203
  13. 0001193125-19-146351
  14. 0001193125-18-162549
  15. 0001193125-17-172145
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Velarion, “Nucor executive compensation, FY2022–FY2025.” https://intel.velarion.ai/comp/NUE (accessed 2026).
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15 filings cited on this page
Method: intel.velarion.ai/methodology
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Materials & Chemicals rankings

Chief executive pay — Materials & ChemicalsCEO pay ratio — Materials & ChemicalsSay-on-pay support — Materials & Chemicals

Peers Nucor discloses

The companies named in NUE's own disclosed peer group.

3M CompanyCaterpillar Inc.Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.Cummins Inc.Danaher CorporationDeere & CompanyEaton Corporation plcEmerson Electric Co.Freeport-McMoRan Inc.General Dynamics CorporationHoneywell International Inc.Illinois Tool Works Inc.International Paper CompanyNorthrop Grumman CorporationPACCAR Inc.Parker-Hannifin CorporationPPG Industries, Inc.Steel Dynamics, Inc.Textron Inc.Trane Technologies plc

Terms on this page

Say-on-Pay VoteCEO Pay RatioMedian Employee CompensationAll companies

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}
}
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