Chief executives salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $75,700 | $36.39 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $213,990 | $102.88 |
| Mean (average) | $269,630 | $129.63 |
| 90th percentile | $507,730 | $244.10 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Chief executives pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 49 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $166,420 | $101,670 | $317,400 | 810 | 0.29 |
| Alaska | $166,710 | $75,870 | $428,990 | 640 | 1.51 |
| Arkansas | $119,990 | $49,830 | $330,480 | 3,550 | 2.07 |
| California | $218,600 | $85,790 | $486,830 | 34,700 | 1.45 |
| Colorado | $213,370 | $88,400 | $402,230 | ||
| Connecticut | $295,120 | $156,680 | $680,080 | 1,660 | 0.74 |
| Delaware | $199,990 | $119,990 | $523,940 | 390 | 0.61 |
| Georgia | $208,180 | $57,290 | $517,910 | 4,080 | 0.63 |
| Hawaii | $281,640 | $100,030 | $493,870 | 470 | 0.57 |
| Idaho | $177,210 | $103,360 | $403,230 | 2,920 | 2.59 |
| Illinois | $331,920 | $133,170 | $589,720 | 4,620 | 0.58 |
| Indiana | $254,180 | $97,340 | $494,080 | 1,820 | 0.43 |
| Iowa | $211,190 | $86,090 | $365,320 | 3,050 | 1.49 |
| Kansas | $158,100 | $51,120 | $453,350 | 1,960 | 1.04 |
| Kentucky | $179,530 | $72,800 | $466,660 | 2,070 | 0.79 |
| Maine | $138,770 | $73,680 | $401,950 | 1,580 | 1.88 |
| Maryland | $248,660 | $139,990 | $486,860 | 3,180 | 0.88 |
| Massachusetts | Data unavailable | 6,590 | 1.38 | ||
| Michigan | $255,560 | $104,010 | $547,090 | 4,950 | 0.86 |
| Minnesota | $195,670 | $92,540 | $449,270 | 6,740 | 1.74 |
| Mississippi | $139,250 | $101,930 | $304,040 | 310 | 0.2 |
| Missouri | $172,320 | $75,040 | $416,060 | 2,550 | 0.66 |
| Montana | $182,340 | $73,970 | $432,240 | 670 | 1 |
| Nebraska | $214,680 | $107,200 | $515,360 | 2,510 | 1.87 |
| Nevada | $149,770 | $58,670 | $517,310 | 1,370 | 0.67 |
| New Hampshire | $168,590 | $103,990 | $397,850 | ||
| New Jersey | $310,440 | $173,560 | $666,030 | 2,430 | 0.43 |
| New Mexico | $123,500 | $43,710 | $302,440 | 100 | 0.09 |
| New York | $257,980 | $140,410 | $657,630 | 8,430 | 0.66 |
| North Carolina | $314,290 | $114,210 | $624,990 | 1,930 | 0.3 |
| North Dakota | $164,560 | $104,590 | $464,030 | 380 | 0.67 |
| Ohio | $176,440 | $79,390 | $484,820 | 4,470 | 0.61 |
| Oklahoma | $163,790 | $68,630 | $387,310 | 2,390 | 1.07 |
| Oregon | $341,630 | $179,550 | $772,840 | 910 | 0.35 |
| Pennsylvania | $232,560 | $118,810 | $528,200 | 8,850 | 1.11 |
| Puerto Rico | $97,510 | $49,000 | $213,810 | 2,690 | 2.18 |
| Rhode Island | $235,360 | $113,970 | $561,080 | 460 | 0.7 |
| South Carolina | $168,840 | $49,760 | $393,490 | 1,740 | 0.57 |
| South Dakota | $280,900 | $175,590 | $546,760 | 510 | 0.84 |
| Tennessee | $198,830 | $64,520 | $474,740 | 4,700 | 1.09 |
| Texas | $257,850 | $121,130 | $558,550 | 8,780 | 0.47 |
| Utah | $171,880 | $72,480 | $424,690 | 3,140 | 1.38 |
| Vermont | $175,070 | $108,300 | $428,080 | 360 | 0.89 |
| Virgin Islands | $104,010 | $82,430 | $275,030 | 130 | 2.97 |
| Virginia | $310,740 | $130,000 | $604,090 | 4,870 | 0.9 |
| Washington | $339,810 | $160,110 | $607,100 | 3,170 | 0.68 |
| West Virginia | $151,950 | $72,160 | $403,020 | 1,700 | 1.84 |
| Wisconsin | $208,350 | $103,560 | $426,290 | ||
| Wyoming | $147,940 | $34,690 | $276,940 | 60 | 0.17 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for chief executives
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 19,100. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 26.6%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for chief executives
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- 5 years or more
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Public Administration CIP 44.0401
- Business/Commerce, General CIP 52.0101
- Business Administration and Management, General CIP 52.0201
- Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management CIP 52.0206
- Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies CIP 52.0701
- Social Entrepreneurship CIP 52.0704
- Finance, General CIP 52.0801
- International Business/Trade/Commerce CIP 52.1101
- Management Science CIP 52.1301
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Direct or coordinate an organization's financial or budget activities to fund operations, maximize investments, or increase efficiency.
- Confer with board members, organization officials, or staff members to discuss issues, coordinate activities, or resolve problems.
- Prepare budgets for approval, including those for funding or implementation of programs.
- Direct, plan, or implement policies, objectives, or activities of organizations or businesses to ensure continuing operations, to maximize returns on investments, or to increase productivity.
- Prepare or present reports concerning activities, expenses, budgets, government statutes or rulings, or other items affecting businesses or program services.
- Implement corrective action plans to solve organizational or departmental problems.
- Analyze operations to evaluate performance of a company or its staff in meeting objectives or to determine areas of potential cost reduction, program improvement, or policy change.
- Direct or coordinate activities of businesses or departments concerned with production, pricing, sales, or distribution of products.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft Outlook (in demand)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Atlassian JIRA (hot technology)
- Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
- Intuit QuickBooks (hot technology)
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Oracle PeopleSoft (hot technology)
- PHP (hot technology)
- SAP software (hot technology)
- Structured query language SQL (hot technology)
Transferable skills for career changers: Judgment and Decision Making, Complex Problem Solving, Coordination, Systems Evaluation, Management of Financial Resources, Management of Personnel Resources.
Common job titles: CEO (Chief Executive Officer), Chief Diversity Officer (CDO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Information Officer (CIO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), Chief Technical Officer (CTO), Executive Director, Executive Vice President (EVP), Operations Vice President (Operations VP), President.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do chief executives make?
The national median annual wage for chief executives was $213,990 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $75,700 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $507,730. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do chief executives need?
BLS lists bachelor's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with 5 years or more of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is chief executives a growing career?
BLS projects employment of chief executives to change +3.2% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 19,100 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay chief executives the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Oregon ($341,630), Washington ($339,810), Illinois ($331,920). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.