The ruling has been praised by trade unions but the US Chamber of Commerce has opposed the measure, claiming it is too expensive to compile the data and will not be useful for investors.
The proposal is one of two major outstanding regulations mandated by the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law that the SEC plans to tackle at a public meeting next week.
In addition to the CEO pay ratio plan, the SEC is expected to adopt a reform that will allow it to oversee financial advisers to cities, counties and other municipal entities that sell public debt or manage public money.
"This proposal would provide companies significant flexibility in complying with the disclosure requirement while still fulfilling the statutory mandate," said SEC chair Mary Jo White.
