CEO pay has remained a hot topic in recent years, with critcs arguing that it has skyrocketed as more engineers lose their jobs. A study by the advocacy groups United for a Fair Economy and the Institute for Policy Studies found that the average S&P 500 CEO was paid in 2008 $10.5 million, 344 times the pay of typical American workers.

With the results of the 2009 EE Times salary survey set to be published on Nov. 30, we examined how much those at the top of the organizational chart are pulling in. What follows is an analysis of the compensation packages of 10 notable semiconductor company CEOs, based on public documents from the most recent years available.

In most cases, information about executive pay covers the calendar year of 2008. In some cases, with executives who lead companies with fiscal years that don't correspond to the calendar year, we've included information from the most recently concluded fiscal year.

(It should be noted that those executives in companies whose fiscal years ended during calendar 2009 often had reduced pay packages due to company cost-cutting measures).

In all cases, the base salary received by CEOs was a drop in the bucket. CEOs cash-in on bonuses, stock options and other equity grants awarded by their boards of directors.

Here's what we found: