A new report says Canada's 100 highest paid CEOs pocketed an average of $7.3 million in 2008 - the year Canadians were hard hit by the emergence of the worldwide recession.

Economist Hugh Mackenzie of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says those salaries were 174 times higher than the average Canadian wage.

While an average Canadian will work full-time throughout the year to earn the national average of $42,305, it took the top 100 CEOs until 1:01 p.m. on January 4 to make that amount.

Thomas Glocer of Thomson Reuters was the top earner with a total salary of $36.6 million, followed by the late Ted Rogers at $21.5 million.

Rupert Duchesne of Groupe Aeroplan was in the 100th spot with earnings of $3.2 million.

Mackenzie says his report shows executive compensation remained as resilient as ever to worldwide economic forces in 2008.