The European Banking Authority published its 2024 Dashboard on high earners, showing that the number of individuals in EU credit institutions and investment firms earning at least EUR 1 million rose to 2,554 and that high-paid roles remain overwhelmingly held by men. High earners increased from 2,343 in 2023 to 2,554 in 2024, driven mainly by strong profitability (including higher interest income, active trading and a rebound in advisory and capital markets), elevated interest rates and renewed M&A activity, and competitive pay adjustments aimed at attracting and retaining talent. Credit institutions accounted for 2,266 high earners (2023: 2,122) and investment firms for 288 (2023: 221). Men represented 89.1% of high earners in credit institutions and 96.9% in investment firms, and most were identified staff (89.7% and 79.5% respectively). The weighted average variable-to-fixed remuneration ratio for high earners in credit institutions rose to 98.5%, while investment firms reported an average of 358.7%; the Capital Requirements Directive bonus cap has not applied to investment firms since 2021. Variable pay deferral among investment firms remained around 34%, with some Member States showing particularly low deferral levels. The dashboard is produced under the EBA’s mandates in Directive 2013/36/EU and Directive (EU) 2019/2034 for collecting and publishing aggregated information on high earners, including business area and remuneration components. The EBA flagged a near-term review of the implementing regulatory products to simplify templates, adjust collection and publication frequencies, and reduce data quality issues that currently prevent publication of its benchmarking report closer to the reference date.
European Banking Authority 2026-04-16
European Banking Authority publishes 2024 high earners dashboard showing 2,554 EU staff paid over EUR 1 million
The European Banking Authority’s 2024 Dashboard on high earners shows that the number of individuals in EU credit institutions and investment firms earning at least EUR 1 million rose to 2,554, with these roles still overwhelmingly held by men. The data indicate rising variable-to-fixed remuneration ratios, especially in investment firms where the Capital Requirements Directive bonus cap no longer applies, and highlight low levels of variable pay deferral in some Member States. The Authority plans a near-term review of its implementing regulatory products to simplify templates, adjust data collection and publication frequencies, and address data quality issues.