Average Chief Executives Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Chief Executives is $213,990 per year. The middle 50% earn between $129,540 and $356,200, with 204,350 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 47 states and 331 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Chief Executives pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $75,700
- 25th
- $129,540
- Median
- $213,990
- 75th
- $356,200
- 90th
- $507,730
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Chief Executives are among the highest-paid occupations tracked by BLS, well into the top decile of US wages.
The pay band is unusually wide for this occupation. Experience, employer, and specialization can double or even triple an early-career salary, so what chief executives earn depends heavily on where they are in their career and who they work for.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for chief executives from 2024 to 2034. Growth is roughly in line with the US average of about 4% across all occupations.
- Projected growth
- +4.3%
- 13,300 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 22,200
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings reflect typical replacement demand alongside any growth.
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- 5 years or more
A bachelor's degree is the typical entry requirement for chief executives.
Where Chief Executives earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where chief executives work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is Oregon at $341,630, about 59.6% above the national median. At the metro level, Medford, OR leads with a median of $615,500.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | 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 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Medford, OR | $615,500 | 40 |
| Midland, MI | $587,950 | 60 |
| Midland, TX | $389,330 | 100 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $388,060 | 480 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $381,330 | 140 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $375,810 | 690 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $370,000 | 2,060 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | $354,310 | 160 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see chief executives pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2025, the national median salary for Chief Executives rose from $184,460 to $213,990, a gain of +16.0% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $184,460 would need to be worth $232,286 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $213,990 is −$18,296 below that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of -7.9% in purchasing power.
Adjusted for inflation, pay has lost ground. Nominal growth of 16.0% has not kept up with rising prices.
- Nominal change
- +16.0%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- -7.9%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Chief Executives median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $213,990
- 2024
- $206,420
- 2023
- $206,680
- 2022
- $189,520
- 2021
- $179,520
- 2020
- $185,950
- 2019
- $184,460
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2018, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- General And Operations Managers
- $105,770
- Natural Sciences Managers
- $167,220
- Marketing Managers
- $166,790
- Financial Managers
- $166,570
- Human Resources Managers
- $149,280
- Compensation And Benefits Managers
- $149,230
Common salary questions for Chief Executives
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Chief Executives workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.