In this study, companies listed in China between 2009 and 2015 were used as a sample to examine the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance and CEO compensation. Considering the nature of property right and the monitoring role of independent directors, this study further tests whether this relationship differs between state-owned enterprises and non-state-owned enterprises, and whether this relationship is moderated by the proportion of independent directors. The results showed a significantly positive correlation between CSR performance and CEO compensation, and such a relationship is stronger in non-state-owned enterprises than in state-owned enterprises. However, the proportion of independent directors was not found to significantly moderate this relationship.