In 2021, the average pay for S&P 500 (SPY  ) chief executives rose by 18%, compared to a 4.7% increase in worker wages. Adjusted for inflation, workers' wages actually fell by 2.4%, according to a report from the AFL-CIO, the largest American labor union federation.

Last year, CEOs were paid an average of 324 times the wage of their median workers, compared to the average of 299 times median pay in 2020. Much of 2021's CEO compensation came in the form of cash bonuses and stock awards.

"It's another version of more for them and less for us," AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond said on a conference call introducing the wages report.

In 2021, the AFL-CIO reports that the ratio of CEO-to-worker pay is the widest its been since the group's reporting began in 2018.

On the far end of the range, Amazon.com (AMZN  ) CEO Andy Jassy made 6,474 times more than his median worker with a total of $212.7 million. According to Amazon, Jassy's pay for 2021 was "competitive with that of CEOs at other large companies" and reflects the fact that the package will vest over the course of ten years.

Meanwhile, the highest paid CEO across the board was Expedia Group (EXPE  ) CEO Peter Kern, who made $296.2 million in 2021. Expedia says that most of Kern's compensation came in the form of equity awards that won't fully vest until 2026.

While CEOs are raking in money, inflation is maintaining a chokehold on everyday Americans. The narrative that executives are inflating prices and shrinking products in order to boost their own profits and income is becoming increasingly widespread.

"It's a very intense time for people and their pocketbooks - I understand why these debates are very heated," Director of macroeconomic analysis at the Roosevelt Institute Michael Konczal told ABC News. "There's a small but real role for corporate power to be involved with the increase in inflation."