Thomas Montag, Chief Executive in Bank of America Corp, was the highest paid employee in 2009 for operating its international banking and market units.

Montag, who is 53 years old, worked with Bank of America four months before the Charlotte, North Carolina-based bank decided to acquire Merrill Lynch & Co., in September 2008.

According to the company’s proxy filling on Friday, Montag received $586,539 as base pay, and $30,423 as compensation package.

Montag’s total compensation is the highest, posted by U. S. bankers this year. Wells Fargo & Co. CEO John Stumpf has been paid $18.9 million in cash and stock for 2009, while JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s Jamie Dimon has been paid $17 million. Whereas, Lloyd Blankfein, head of Goldman Sachs Group Inc., has been paid $9.7 million.

Since 1985, Montag had also worked for Goldman Sachs Group Inc., the New York investment bank, since 1985.

Montag is presently the head of Bank of America's global banking and markets.