CU Executive Compensation Continues to Climb, CUES Compensation Surveys Find

MADISON, Wis.— August 7, 2025 — Credit union executive compensation is on the rise,

with many leadership roles seeing significant increases in both base salary and total

compensation, according to the newly-released 2025 CUES Executive Compensation

Survey Report.

Report data comes from credit unions that participated in CUES Executive Compensation

Survey and CUES Employee Salary Survey between March 3 and March 16 of this year.

The annual report from CUES offers a detailed look at how compensation trends are

evolving across asset sizes and roles, and what that means for talent strategies in today’s

market.

Among the key findings:

• Bonuses Climb to New Highs: While CEO base salaries continue to rise, total

compensation jumped 10.2% from the previous year primarily due to increased

bonus payouts. Bonus eligibility hit a record 95.9%. CEOs at credit unions over $5

billion average more than $1.25 million in total compensation, and among the

largest credit unions, CEOs earned bonuses up to 32.7% of their base salary.

• Higher Education on the Rise: More credit union executives are advancing their

education. The portion with only an undergraduate degree dropped to 60.9%, while

nearly 40% now hold advanced degrees—including MBAs (14.0%) and other

master’s degrees (16.3%).

• More Investment in Professional Development: Average spending on executive

development climbed to $9,225 per person—surpassing pre-pandemic levels and

reflecting a renewed commitment to leadership growth.

“This year’s surveys show credit unions are investing strategically in their leaders—not only

through compensation, but through professional development and long-term planning,”

said Sharon Messmore, CUES Products & Services Manager. “In a competitive talent

market, it’s clear that boards and executives are aligning on the value of leadership

continuity and growth.”

Results for both surveys are available to CUES Unlimited+ members, and for purchase by

subscription for all others.

CUES Executive Compensation Survey includes information on 23 executive positions and

features questions related to wage, bonus, and benefits information for each.

CUES Employee Salary Survey includes information on a wide range of non-executive

positions and focuses on pay ranges and actual wages for each position.

Learn more or subscribe at cues.org/ECS and cues.org/ESS.

About CUES

For over 60 years, CUES has advanced the credit union movement by developing

exceptional purpose-driven leaders who meet the unique needs of their organizations and

the communities they serve. CUES partners with credit unions to elevate the leaders of

today and tomorrow through exclusive networking and event opportunities, programs that

facilitate personal and professional development, and unmatched digital and in-person

learning experiences. Visit CUES.org to learn how CUES plays a pivotal role in shaping the

future of credit unions.