Rise in Director Compensation Slows; Pay Shifts to Fixed Retainers, Mercer Finds

Median total direct compensation paid to directors at Standard & Poor’s 500 Index companies grew by 2.8 percent in 2012, a rate of increase far below the previous year’s rise of 7.8 percent, according to a new Mercer study.

The median total direct compensation paid directors was $221,700 in 2012 and $215,600 in 2011, the consulting firm said its analysis of corporate proxy statements, released Oct. 22, found.

Median cash retainers for S&P 500 companies rose from $65,000 in 2010 to $75,000 in 2012, the study said. At the largest companies—those in the S&P 100 Index—the median cash retainer ...