One thing is for sure, BHP Billiton chief executive Andrew Mackenzie will be doing well to take home as much as last year's $US4.6 million.

That said, Mr Mackenzie could take home anything from $US2 million to $US13 million this year, according to the miner's most recent annual report.

But this was a year in which BHP was caught up in a dam collapse at its joint venture Samarco mine operation in Brazil, killing 19 people and for which the company has paid a $3 billion clean-up settlement. It remains the subject of an $8 billion civil claim.

And it was a year in which shareholders saw dividend payments cut by a whopping 75 per cent and the company's share price go backwards.

Still, the fixed component to his salary means Mr Mackenzie won't go home with less than $US2 million.

"The minimum amount the CEO could earn in respect of FY2016 is $US2.27 million, which is fixed remuneration, and made up of his base salary of $US1.7 million, pension contributions of $US425,000 and benefits of $US145,000," the annual report says.

"The maximum amount is $US13.15 million. This assumes he earns the maximum under the short-term incentive of $US$4.08 million and the normal maximum under the long term incentive of $US6.8 million."

Chairman Jac Nasser and his remuneration committee will likely face heavy shareholder scrutiny on remuneration after BHP's difficult year.

The company's board will also likely have to consider any public relations backlash around awarding a significant bonus after delivering the worst result in 15 years, on top of the human toll of a mining disaster.

It also faces a tough decision on how to reward managers who are recalibrating the company after a once in a lifetime boom while balancing new realities for shareholders who have enjoyed years of sterling returns.

Nearly 75 per cent of Mr Mackenzie's annual salary is deemed "at risk" and subject to meeting shareholder returns and business hurdles while there is also board discretion on whether bonuses should be paid and how large they should be.

One component of his short-term bonus eligibility is "delivery against designated health and safety measures" which may come into consideration given the Samarco disaster.

A long-term bonus is not out of the question either because Mr Mackenzie's yard stick is how he fared compared with other miners.

"The minimum value for the long-term incentive award is zero, and applies where the relative total shareholder return of BHP Billiton is lower than the peer group and/or Index total shareholder return," the annual report says.

After taking the job in 2013, Mr Mackenzie earned just shy of $US8 million in the 2014 financial year.

But in 2015 as the end of the mining boom started to bite, Mr Mackenzie took a significant pay cut, down to $US4.582 million.

When Mr Mackenzie was appointed to the role in 2013, BHP said it needed some "downward rebasing" after the salary explosions attached to the mining boom.

If shareholders are being encouraged to endure years of grind after such heavy asset writedowns, the board will be pondering whether managers should have to feel the pain, too.

BHP's annual report containing salary details will be released next month.