Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation

Non-equity incentive plan compensation is the Summary Compensation Table column for cash awards paid under a plan that sets performance goals in advance, then pays out based on results against those goals — typically an annual cash bonus tied to metrics like revenue, earnings or a strategic objective.

It is distinguished from the table’s separate "Bonus" column, which captures discretionary cash awards not tied to a pre-set formula. A company that pays its annual bonus almost entirely through a formal incentive plan will often show close to nothing in the Bonus column and a substantial figure here instead.

Because the performance goals behind the number are set at the start of the year, this column is one place a reader can connect a dollar figure back to whether the company actually met the targets its own compensation committee had set.

Apple's fiscal 2025 Summary Compensation Table reports $12,000,000 of non-equity incentive plan compensation for Tim Cook — the cash bonus earned against pre-set performance goals, distinct from any equity award.