Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google and its parent company Alphabet, has been no stranger to public scrutiny over his compensation. With Google making headlines for restructuring its employee pay model to focus more on performance-based rewards, questions around Pichai’s own salary have resurfaced. In 2024, the tech executive took home $10.73 million (around ₹90 crore), a figure that’s significantly lower than his earnings in previous years, but still starkly higher than the average salary for a Google employee.

Pichai’s 2024 compensation package marks a shift from previous years, when his pay was bolstered by large stock grants and other one-time bonuses. However, it also serves as a timely juxtaposition to Google’s wider restructuring of its compensation strategy, which has sparked both interest and controversy across the tech industry.

According to Alphabet’s 2025 Proxy Statement, Sundar Pichai earned a total of $10.73 million (₹90 crore) in 2024. While this is an increase compared to the $8.8 million (₹74 crore) he earned in 2023, it’s far less than the eye-watering $226 million (₹1,900 crore) Pichai received in 2022, when a massive stock award tied to performance goals led to a sharp spike in his earnings.

The $10.73 million total comprises a base salary of $2 million (₹16 crore), which remained unchanged from the previous year. However, the majority of Pichai's earnings came from stock-based compensation, bonuses, and other executive perks.

One of the most notable items in his pay package was the cost of his personal security. Alphabet spent a staggering $8.27 million (₹69 crore) on protecting Pichai, a 22% increase compared to 2023. The amount is reportedly used for a range of services, including 24/7 security personnel, home surveillance, travel safety, and car-and-driver services.

“In 2024, Sundar’s security arrangements included residential security and consultation fees, security monitoring services, car and driver services, and personal security during all travel,” Alphabet’s 2025 Proxy Statement disclosed.

While these figures may seem eye-popping, they represent the standard protection afforded to high-profile CEOs, especially given the increasingly volatile world of corporate leadership. However, these massive payouts have raised eyebrows, especially given the public scrutiny surrounding Pichai’s compensation.

A Salary at Odds with Google’s Employee Compensation Overhaul

In the same year that Sundar Pichai took home his $10.73 million, Google announced a major overhaul to its employee compensation structure. The move came as part of a broader strategy to align its pay model with performance metrics. As reported by Business Insider, the restructuring will result in higher bonuses and equity awards for high performers, while employees receiving lower ratings will see reduced compensation.

The revised pay structure will take effect for 2025 year-end performance reviews and will influence compensation for 2026. The shift aims to create more direct links between employees’ contributions and the rewards they receive. Google’s internal performance review system, known as GRAD (Google Reviews and Development), is central to this new approach.

GRAD evaluates employees based on five tiers of performance, ranging from “Not Enough Impact” to “Transformative Impact.” Most employees typically receive a “Significant Impact” rating, which is considered a solid performance level.

According to John Casey, Google’s Vice President of Global Compensation and Benefits, the changes will enable more employees to earn high performance ratings, which will, in turn, increase their bonuses and equity awards. However, those who receive lower ratings may find their rewards significantly diminished.

"This means more Googlers will have the opportunity to achieve that rating during annual reviews, and their bonus and equity award will be modelled using the O's individual multiplier in 2026,” Casey stated in an internal email.

For employees who perform well, the changes could lead to more substantial bonuses and equity awards. However, critics argue that the new pay structure could place undue pressure on workers, leading to higher stress levels and a more competitive, less collaborative environment.

Public Backlash on Pichai’s Pay

Pichai’s $226 million pay package in 2022 generated significant public backlash, particularly given that it was awarded just before Google laid off thousands of employees. Many workers and critics argued that it was difficult to justify such a large payout when the company was cutting jobs. While Pichai's 2024 pay is a far cry from the 2022 figure, the issue of executive compensation continues to be a sensitive topic.

To put Pichai’s compensation into perspective, the average full-time Google employee earned $331,894 (₹2.7 crore) in 2024, according to Alphabet’s annual report. Pichai’s pay is thus approximately 32 times that of the average worker at the company. This stark contrast in pay is a common criticism of Silicon Valley, where CEOs and other top executives often receive far larger compensation packages than the employees whose work drives the company’s success.

Despite the significant discrepancy, Pichai’s pay package is not the highest in the tech world. Apple’s Tim Cook, for instance, earned $74.6 million (₹729 crore) in 2024, while the co-CEOs of Netflix each took home over $60 million (₹500 crore). However, given Alphabet's current restructuring efforts, Pichai’s compensation remains an ongoing point of conversation.

Sundar Pichai’s rise to the top of Google and Alphabet is a story of perseverance and intellect. Born in Chennai in 1972, Pichai earned a degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, before moving to the US for higher studies. He completed a master’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Stanford University and later earned an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Pichai joined Google in 2004, where he played a key role in the development of Google Toolbar and later, the Google Chrome web browser. His success with Chrome — which became the world’s most popular browser — elevated him to the role of CEO of Google in 2015, and in 2019, he became the CEO of Alphabet, Google’s parent company.

With a current estimated net worth of $1.1 billion (₹9,000 crore), Pichai’s career trajectory is a testament to his leadership and the impact he’s had on one of the world’s most influential tech companies.

The tension between the growing wealth of executives like Sundar Pichai and the tightening belts of employees remains a key issue in corporate governance. As Google shifts its pay structure to tie compensation more directly to performance, it will be interesting to see how the new system affects company morale and productivity.

In the meantime, Pichai’s 2024 pay package serves as a reminder of the delicate balancing act faced by the CEO. While striving to keep shareholders and executives happy, the growing divide between top leadership and everyday employees continues to raise eyebrows and fuel debates about fairness and equity in corporate America.