PCAOB 2026 Budget Includes Pay Reductions For Board & Senior Staff

The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) will implement significant pay reductions for its Chair and Board Members under the 2026 budget proposal.

The next chair will receive less than half the salary of their predecessor, and other members will see cuts of over 40%. Additional reductions for top senior staff will reduce the PCAOB’s total budget to USD 362 million, down 9% from 2025 and 4% below projected 2025 spending. The fee levied on US public companies and broker-dealers will fall from USD 375 million in 2025 to USD 306 million in 2026. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) must approve the budget. Acting PCAOB chair George Botic described the cuts as part of ongoing cost management and said a review of pay structures will be conducted next year.