It is Academy Sports + Outdoors, the Katy-based retailer. Its 2026 proxy statement reports that CEO Steve Lawrence received $9,560,129 in total compensation for fiscal 2025, compared with $22,584 in annual total compensation for the median team member—an approximate ratio of 423 to 1.
What the 423-to-1 figure measures
Academy’s proxy statement reports compensation for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2026, which the company labels fiscal year 2025. The CEO figure is total compensation, not just salary; the median-worker figure is annual total compensation. The company reports the resulting ratio as approximately 423:1. Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. 2026 Proxy Statement
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| Measure | Fiscal 2025 figure |
|---|---|
| CEO Steve Lawrence’s total compensation | $9,560,129 |
| Median team member’s annual total compensation | $22,584 |
| CEO-to-median-worker ratio | Approximately 423:1 |
The Houston Chronicle’s October 9, 2026, regional analysis described Academy as having the highest CEO-to-median-worker ratio among the Houston-area companies it examined. Its headline rounded the ratio to “over 400 times”; the company’s disclosed figure is approximately 423:1. Houston Chronicle, “Here’s how much more Houston CEOs earn than their workers”
Who was included in the median-worker calculation?
According to the Chronicle’s account of Academy’s calculation, the company assessed gross wages for employees employed as of January 31, 2026, excluding the CEO. The population included full-time, part-time, temporary, and seasonal workers. The median employee identified was a full-time store team member. Houston Chronicle
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How Academy’s ratio compares with other Houston-area companies
The Chronicle reported the following fiscal-2025 CEO-to-median-worker ratios and median-worker compensation figures in its regional analysis. These are newsroom-reported figures; they should not be read as a controlled comparison of identical pay-calculation methods.
| Company | Reported CEO-to-median-worker ratio | Reported median-worker compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Academy Sports + Outdoors | Approximately 423:1 | $22,584 |
| Hewlett Packard Enterprise | 316:1 | About $74,000 |
| Baker Hughes | 310:1 | About $69,000 |
| Service Corp. International | 297:1 | About $44,500 |
| Exxon Mobil | 181:1 | About $183,000 |
| Chevron | 175:1 | About $153,000 |
All comparison figures in this table are from the Chronicle’s October 9, 2026, analysis. The amounts for median-worker compensation other than Academy’s are approximate as reported by the Chronicle. Houston Chronicle
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the ratios are not necessarily like-for-like
Academy cautions in its proxy statement that SEC rules allow companies to use different methods, exclusions, estimates, and assumptions when identifying the median employee and calculating the ratio. A company’s workforce mix and calculation choices can affect the result, so the ratios above do not by themselves establish that one company’s pay practices are directly comparable to another’s. Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. 2026 Proxy Statement
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For context, the Chronicle attributed this view to the AFL-CIO: large CEO-worker pay disparities “contribute to economic inequality and can undermine employee morale and productivity.” Houston Chronicle
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