We present empirical evidence on the relationship between individual wages,
conditional on worker characteristics, and equity returns using a unique s
urvey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Equity returns affect the wages
only of workers with three or more years of tenure. A 4 percent increase in
a firm's market value raises pay by 0.3 percent within three years. Our es
timates suggest that each $10 increase in shareholder wealth raises the pre
sent value of a firm's wage bill by $1. The elasticity of white-collar wage
s with respect to equity returns is one-third smaller than the CEO salary e
lasticities in our sample.