More than 75% of the stocks in the S&P 500 pay a dividend, and the highest-paying of the group offer dividends that exceed the yield on U.S. 10-year Treasury bonds (currently around 4.6%).
However, screening for the highest-paying dividend stocks in the S&P 500 reveals some even more impressive yields. In fact, all of the top 10 highest-paying dividend stocks in the S&P 500 yield above 5%.
Higher yields come with higher risks, though. Many of these stocks’ yields are so high because they (or their share prices at least) are struggling.
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From highest yield (6.9%) to lowest yield (5.7%), here are the 10 highest-paying dividend stocks in the S&P 500 today:
The 10 Highest-Paying Dividend Stocks in the S&P 500
| Rank | Company (Ticker) | Dividend Yield |
| 1 | VICI Properties (VICI) | 6.9% |
| 2 | Altria (MO) | 6.6% |
| 3 | Pfizer (PFE) | 6.4% |
| 4 | Kraft Heinz (KHC) | 6.4% |
| 5 | General Mills (GIS) | 6.4% |
| 6 | United Parcel Service (UPS) | 6.2% |
| 7 | Alexandria Real Estate Equities (ARE) | 6.0% |
| 8 | Verizon (VZ) | 5.9% |
| 9 | Healthpeak Properties (DOC) | 5.9% |
| 10 | Crown Castle (CCI) | 5.7% |
Here’s a closer look at each one of the top 10 highest-paying dividend stocks.
1. VICI Properties (VICI)
Dividend Yield: 6.9%
VICI Properties is an REIT specializing in casino and entertainment properties, based in New York City.
Originally formed in 2017 as a spin-off from Caesars Entertainment Corporation as part of its bankruptcy reorganization, VICI owns Caesars Palace Las Vegas, MGM Grand and the Venetian Resort Las Vegas, as well as 93 “experiential assets.” In the aggregate, the company has approximately 127 million square feet of property comprising 60,300 hotel rooms and over 500 restaurants, bars, nightclubs and sportsbooks.
The company currently pays a $0.45 quarterly dividend (raised from $0.4325 in September 2025) and has been persistently growing its payout since its formation (from $0.9975 in fiscal year 2018 to $1.765 in fiscal year 2025).
As for the stock, shares have fallen 20.5% in the last year and 12.6% over the last five, which is partially responsible for the company’s spot at the top of this list. But they’ve risen by more than 45% since the spin-off in 2017.
2. Altria (MO)
Dividend Yield: 6.6%
Altria is well known as one of the world’s biggest producers of tobacco and other smoking-related products. The company is equally well known as being one of the most persistent high-dividend payers among U.S.-based, blue-chip companies, with a current quarterly dividend of $1.06 per share (this was raised from $1.02 in mid-2025).
Indeed, Altria’s dividend payouts have just about doubled in the last 10 years. And while some investors are concerned that Altria’s cigarette and tobacco business likely faces headwinds from consumers’ shifting preferences, its investments in increasingly popular vaping and cannabis products should ensure the company’s revenue growth going forward.
3. Pfizer (PFE)
Dividend Yield: 6.4%
Originally established in New York over 170 years ago, Pfizer is an American-headquartered multinational pharmaceutical and biotech company. The company has been a (mostly) reliable dividend payer for years, albeit inconsistently, with the last major dividend cuts coming on the heels of the Great Financial Crisis.
But since then, they’ve steadily (if slowly) been raising their dividend, with the last hike in Q1 of 2025 raising their quarterly dividend from $0.42 to $0.43. As for the stock, it’s fallen 44.6% in the last five years and is up only 6.9% in the last year, making the dividend far more appealing than the performance.
4. Kraft Heinz (KHC)
Dividend Yield: 6.4%
Kraft Heinz likely needs no introduction, although its corporate history may need some elaboration.
The company is one of the largest food and beverage companies in the world, with a portfolio of brands that includes Kraft, Heinz, Boca Burger, Grey Poupon, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia Cream Cheese and more.
The company (as it exists now) is the product of the remainder of the original Kraft (following the split-off of Mondelez International in 2012) and a subsequent merger (in 2015) with H.J. Heinz.
The company currently pays a $0.40 quarterly dividend (which has remained stable since it was lowered in 2019), and shares have struggled mightily since the split-up and merger.
Shares are down 10.6% in the last year, 33.9% in the last five, and 45.5% since Mondelez was split off in 2012.
Although it may not be an unmitigated disaster, the Kraft/Heinz merger has been enough of a failure (as you can see from the dividend cut and share price performance) that Kraft Heinz announced plans to de-merge last fall before subsequently reversing that decision and committing to invest more in operational improvements.
5. General Mills (GIS)
Dividend Yield: 6.4%
General Mills is a major U.S. packaged food company based in Minneapolis, known for brands like Cheerios, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Häagen-Dazs, and Blue Buffalo. Founded in 1928, it operates in the consumer staples sector, producing everyday food products across categories such as cereals, snacks, frozen meals, baking goods, and pet food. Its business is relatively stable because demand for food tends to remain consistent regardless of economic conditions.
The company has been working to expand in higher-growth areas like pet food while managing slower segments, but it still faces challenges from rising costs, competition, and shifting consumer preferences.
The company (and its predecessor) has been paying dividends uninterrupted for 127 years and currently pays out $0.61 per share, which was most recently raised from $0.60 in 2025.
As for the stock, it’s been struggling (as have other staples on this list), having fallen 22.4% in the last year and 35.5% in the last five.
6. United Parcel Service (UPS)
Dividend Yield: 6.2%
UPS is probably the best-known name on this list as it’s a Fortune 500 company and the world’s largest package delivery company.
Every business day, the company delivers packages from 1.6 million shipping customers to 10.1 million delivery customers in over 200 countries and territories. In 2025, UPS delivered an average of 20.8 million packages per day.
The company has been steadily increasing its dividends for the last 25 years (although the pace of hikes has slowed down a touch of late) and is currently paying $1.64 every quarter (up from $1.63 at the end of 2024).
As for the stock, it’s been largely churning lower since its 2021 peak, although it has risen 19.4% in the last year. That said, dividends aside, shares have slipped 4.2% in the last decade.
7. Alexandria Real Estate Equities (ARE)
Dividend Yield: 6.0%
Alexandria Real Estate Equities is a specialized real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on life science properties in some of the country’s biggest research hubs, including Boston, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle and New York City. The company has been operating since 1994 and counts many large, publicly traded and investment-grade companies among its tenants.
The business has been going through a rough patch, though, as the life science real estate market has dealt with softer demand and elevated vacancies. At the end of the second quarter of 2026, occupancy across Alexandria’s operating properties stood at 86.9%.
As for the dividend, Alexandria is currently paying $0.72 per share every quarter. That’s well below the $1.32 it was paying through most of 2025, after management slashed the payout late last year to preserve roughly $410 million annually and give the company more financial flexibility.
The stock has taken an even bigger beating. Shares are currently trading 44.8% below their 52-week high and are down an astronomical 76.5% over the last five years.
8. Verizon (VZ)
Dividend Yield: 5.9%
Verizon is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the U.S., providing wireless, broadband and other communications services to millions of consumers and businesses. The company generated $138.2 billion in revenue in 2025 and remains one of the biggest players in the U.S. wireless market.
Business has been improving lately, too. In the second quarter of 2026, Verizon added 184,000 postpaid phone customers and 348,000 broadband customers, while mobility and broadband service revenue rose 2.8% from a year ago. Free cash flow also jumped 24.4% during the quarter, prompting management to raise its full-year guidance.
As for the dividend, Verizon is currently paying $0.7075 per share every quarter (which was raised from $0.69 at the start of the year), continuing its 20-year streak of dividend hikes.
The stock, meanwhile, is up 9.4% this year but down 14.4% over the last five and trading at the same prices it was all the way back in 1998.
9. Healthpeak Properties (DOC)
Dividend Yield: 5.9%
Healthpeak Properties is a niche REIT with an emphasis on the healthcare space, with investments in senior housing, medical facilities and life sciences properties.
The company has 689 properties totaling 50 million square feet and $25 billion in total assets.
Rising interest rates are tough for REITs, and DOC was no exception, as shares are down 42.0% in the last five years, although they’re up 21.3% in the last 12 months.
But given the nature of their business and the aging population, DOC definitely has some structural tailwinds behind it, even if the share price isn’t bearing it out.
10. Crown Castle (CCI)
Dividend Yield: 5.7%
Crown Castle is one of the largest owners of wireless infrastructure in the U.S., with roughly 40,000 cell towers spread across the country. Those towers are leased to wireless carriers and other customers, giving the company a recurring stream of rental income tied to the continued growth in mobile data and wireless connectivity.
The company has also undergone a major transformation recently. In May, Crown Castle completed the sale of its Fiber and Small Cell businesses for $8.4 billion, leaving it focused primarily on its U.S. tower portfolio. Management used some of that cash to strengthen the balance sheet and repurchase $1 billion of stock.
As for the dividend, Crown Castle is currently paying $1.0625 per share every quarter, or $4.25 annually. That’s down sharply from the $1.565 quarterly payout it was paying at the beginning of 2025, after management cut the dividend by roughly 32% as part of its plan to boost free cash flow and financial flexibility following the fiber sale.
The stock, meanwhile, has been struggling, as shares are lower by 25.9% in the last year and have fallen by 61.3% over the last five.
There you have it: those are the 10 highest-paying dividend stocks in the S&P 500 today. If you want the best dividend stocks right now, regardless of yield, I highly recommend subscribing to our Cabot Dividend Investor advisory, where chief analyst Tom Hutchinson has a portfolio full of dividend-paying stocks that offer generous yields and strong share price growth.
To learn more, click here.
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*This post is periodically updated to reflect market conditions.
