What You Should Be Paid As CEO of Your Business
How many corporate CEOs do you know who go months, or even years, without being paid? Exactly none.
Yet this is surprisingly common in small and growing businesses. Owners take on all the responsibility, all the risk, and all the decision-making, but treat their own pay as optional. Something to deal with “once the business is doing better.”
If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. But it’s also a sign that something needs to change.
Why Owner Pay Is Often Wrong
There are a few common reasons business owners underpay themselves.
Some feel guilty taking money out while the business is still growing.
Others tell themselves they’ll pay themselves properly later.
Many simply don’t know what they should be paid, so they take whatever is left (if anything).
The problem is that this approach hides deeper issues. If the business can’t consistently pay its CEO, something in the model needs attention. That could be pricing, margins, costs, structure or cash flow timing.
Owner pay should be a non-negotiable.
You Are Not “Just” the Owner
If you truly want to be the CEO of your business, you need to understand the value of that role. You’re doing more than delivering work. You’re setting direction, making decisions, managing risk and carrying accountability.
That role has a high value.
Even in small businesses, the CEO role exists, whether it’s labelled that way or not. And like any other role, it should be paid intentionally, not accidentally.
So, What Should You Be Paid?
There’s no single number that fits every business, but there are clear principles.
Your pay should be:
Regular – paid weekly, fortnightly or monthly in line with your payroll rhythm, not sporadically
Planned – built into cash flow forecasts, not taken as leftovers
Aligned to the stage of the business – realistic, but not optional
Sustainable – able to continue even through quieter periods
A simple starting point is to ask: What would I need to pay someone else to do my role?
That doesn’t mean your business can always afford that amount today, but it gives you a benchmark. From there, you work backwards to build a model that supports it over time.
Cash Flow vs Pay: The Real Tension
Many owners say, “I’ll pay myself properly once cash flow improves.”
In reality, cash flow often doesn’t improve until owner pay is treated as an expense, not an afterthought.
When owner pay is planned:
Pricing decisions improve
Cost decisions become clearer
Cash flow forecasting becomes more accurate
The business becomes more disciplined
You stop pretending the business is healthier than it really is.
Profit Comes After Pay
Another common mistake is waiting for profit before paying yourself.
For most owner-led businesses, CEO pay should sit above the profit line, not below it. Profit is what’s left after the business has paid for the resources it needs including leadership wages.
If there’s no profit after that, it’s a sign the business model needs adjusting.
Paying Yourself Builds Better Boundaries
When your pay is inconsistent, the line between business and personal life blurs. You carry financial stress home. You feel guilty stepping back. You stay stuck in survival mode.
Regular pay ensures that you value yourself and your role in the business. It gives you permission to think like a CEO rather than a martyr.
A business that can’t pay its leader properly is not a healthy business, no matter how impressive the revenue looks.
If you want long-term growth, clarity and balance, start by treating your role the way it deserves to be treated: intentionally, transparently and with respect.
Because paying yourself properly is a sign your business is built to last.