Executive education level heterogeneity and corporate internal pay gap

•Executive education level heterogeneity raises the corporate internal pay gap.•The impact is greater in non-state-owned enterprises or capital-intensive enterprises.•Explore the link between executive education level heterogeneity and corporate internal pay gap. This research aims to explore the connection between executive education level heterogeneity and the corporate internal pay gap. The findings indicate that executive education level heterogeneity raises the corporate internal pay gap, and there is heterogeneity in the impact of executive education level heterogeneity on the corporate internal pay gap with different property rights and industry types, which is manifested in the fact that the impact of executive education level heterogeneity on the corporate internal pay gap is greater in non-state-owned enterprises or capital-intensive enterprises.