Chief Executives Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for chief executives in the U.S. is $213,990 ($102.88 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $213,990
- Mean annual wage
- $269,630
- Median hourly wage
- $102.88
- Employment
- 204,350
204,350 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $75,700 | $36.39 |
| 25th percentile | $129,540 | $62.28 |
| Median (50th) | $213,990 | $102.88 |
| 75th percentile | $356,200 | $171.25 |
| 90th percentile | $507,730 | $244.10 |
Highest-paying states for chief executives
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $341,630 | 910 |
| Washington | $339,810 | 3,170 |
| Illinois | $331,920 | 4,620 |
| North Carolina | $314,290 | 1,930 |
| Virginia | $310,740 | 4,870 |
| New Jersey | $310,440 | 2,430 |
| Connecticut | $295,120 | 1,660 |
| Hawaii | $281,640 | 470 |
| South Dakota | $280,900 | 510 |
| New York | $257,980 | 8,430 |
Lowest-paying states
- Arkansas: $119,990 median annual wage
- New Mexico: $123,500 median annual wage
- Maine: $138,770 median annual wage
- Mississippi: $139,250 median annual wage
- Wyoming: $147,940 median annual wage
About this occupation
Determine and formulate policies and provide overall direction of companies or private and public sector organizations within guidelines set up by a board of directors or similar governing body. Plan, direct, or coordinate operational activities at the highest level of management with the help of subordinate executives and staff managers.
Typical tasks
- Attend and participate in meetings of municipal councils or council committees.
- Serve as liaisons between organizations, shareholders, and outside organizations.
- Direct or coordinate activities of businesses involved with buying or selling investment products or financial services.
- 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.
- Implement corrective action plans to solve organizational or departmental problems.
- Review reports submitted by staff members to recommend approval or to suggest changes.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: Bachelor's degree
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 1.5% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 7.8% |
| Some college, no degree | 13.1% |
| Associate's degree | 5.3% |
| Bachelor's degree | 40.7% |
| Master's degree | 24.7% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 6.9% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- General and Operations Managers$105,770
- Financial Managers$166,570
- Computer and Information Systems Managers$175,140
- Sales Managers$148,270
- Managers, All Other$141,900
- Medical and Health Services Managers$123,860
- Marketing Managers$166,790
- Construction Managers$114,990
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.