MARY Barra has shattered the glass ceiling at General Motors and discovered there's a Cristal ceiling above that one. But it could be worse. She could have to assemble cars for a living!

Barra, the Detroit automaker's newly tapped CEO - and Michelle Obama's guest at last month's State of the Union - stands to make $4.4 million annually in salary and compensation. That's far less than her male predecessor Dan Akerson, according to CBS News:

"Akerson earned $9.1 million in 2012, which included $1.7 million in salary and stock awards of $7.3 million.

Akerson's continuing pay as a senior adviser may raise even more eyebrows, given that he's entitled to $4.68 million, more than Barra is slated to earn."

GM responded to the charges of pay inequity by explaining in a release that Barra also has long-term incentives coming, which will be announced in April. It never addressed that fact that her base salary, $1.6 million, is less than what Akerson's still going to be paid as a consultant to the company.

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GM also never addressed the fact that all of these sums are ungodly, and the average GM worker made 40 bucks an hour the last time solid figures were published a few years back. Barra will make roughly $769.23 an hour just in base pay. Add in her incentives (so far), and her hourly is $2,115.38, or 53 times what her average worker makes.

God punished GM for all this yesterday with a 13 per cent drop in its fourth quarter global profits.

This article originally appeared on Gawker.

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