Female CEOs, like male peers, overpaid? #tellusatoday

On average, 21 top female CEOs were paid $18.8 million during their most recent fiscal year, a USA TODAY analysis found. That exceeded the average paid to male CEOs in the S&P 500. Facebook comments edited for clarity and grammar:

Maybe we're just finally seeing female CEOs. I hardly think 21 women, compared with 455 men in the S&P 500, is a fair statistic. These women may make more on average, sure, but how about instead comparing those 21 top-earning women with the 21 top-earning men?

—Kelsey Hodges

Many executives make most of their money from non-salary earnings, and I'm starting to believe that we need to address that. Sure, a CEO should be making more than the average worker, but I'd like to see the executive team's total earnings tied to average workers' wages in some way. That way, the execs are still making more than the average worker will ever make in their lifetime, but it's just not as ridiculous as it sometimes is now.

—David Auker

Why do people whine about CEOs making millions when lots of entertainers and pro athletes make more? Why not complain about how much these entertainment people make?

—Robert Stegmaier

Letter edited for content and grammar:

USA TODAY's article "Female CEOs' paychecks fattest" did provide fascinating reading on the status of women in the big corporations in the USA (Money, Friday).

The findings of USA TODAY's analysis clearly reveal that the female CEOs are ahead of their male counterparts in compensation in some companies, and that means the shareholders of those corporations have full faith in the leadership of women.

These days, women insist on empowerment in all areas. That will happen only if they can deliver the goods. If they do so, during the next few years, the percentage of female CEOs will go up in the USA. That will help the female professionals in other parts of the globe as well.

Chandra Das Chalapurath Puthenveetil

Arlington, Tenn.

With female CEOs making strides in terms of compensation, we asked followers what concerns they had about equal pay.Twitter comments edited for clarity and grammar:

Equal pay should be a given, especially in this great nation of freedom and equity.

—@JasonRouseCPA

People should be paid based on skills, not gender. Let's make that happen so we can focus on other issues.

—@honestly12345

My concern is the ability of equal pay to penetrate the old boys' club mentality in the corporate world.

—@LKSHHLT

While strides are being made toward equal pay, there's still a long way to go for promotions to management positions.

—@cathynel

Follow @USATOpinion or #tellusatoday on Twitter for more discussions.