Healthcare execs top list of highest-paid CEOs

By Julian Pecquet - 12/16/11 05:04 PM ET

North America's two top-paid CEOs in 2010 worked in healthcare, according to the latest pay survey from the research group GMI ratings.

John Hammergen, CEO of the pharmaceutical distributor and technology firm McKesson, made $145 million, according to GMI. Joel Gemunder, CEO of Omnicare — the nation's leading provider of medicines for seniors — made a reported $98 million.

Total realized compensation for CEOs in the S&P 500 rose by a median 36.5 percent in 2010, according to GMI. The report comes as "Occupy" demonstrators are protesting across the country against income inequality and Congress looks for ways to curb healthcare spending.

"The 36.5 percent increase in realized compensation is particularly notable when it's put in context of the modest growth of the economy in 2010 and general public company performance last year," Paul Hodgson, chief communications officer and senior research associate at GMI, said in a statement.

Other healthcare CEOs rounded out the Top 10.

Thomas Ryan, CEO of the drugstore chain CVS Caremark, made a reported $68 million for the fifth spot. And the CEO of health insurer Aetna, Ronald Williams, took the ninth spot with $58 million.