SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 11-1011.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $75,700 | $6,308 | $1,456 | $36.39 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $129,540 | $10,795 | $2,491 | $62.28 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $213,990 | $17,832 | $4,115 | $102.88 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $356,200 | $29,683 | $6,850 | $171.25 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $507,730 | $42,311 | $9,764 | $244.10 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Chief Executives is $213,990, which is 320% higher. Among the 37 occupations of the field Management, it ranks number 1 by median pay. With 204,350 jobs, it makes up about 13 of every 10,000 jobs in the country. The average ($269,630) is well above the median, a sign that a smaller group of high earners pulls the average up.
Chief Executives pay by state
The highest median pay was in Oregon ($341,630), Washington ($339,810) and Illinois ($331,920). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($97,510), Virgin Islands ($104,010) and Arkansas ($119,990). The most jobs were in California (34,700), Pennsylvania (8,850) and Texas (8,780). The occupation is most concentrated in Virgin Islands, where its share of all jobs is 3.0 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 910 | $341,630 | $403,380 | $164.25 |
| Washington | 3,170 | $339,810 | $360,290 | $163.37 |
| Illinois | 4,620 | $331,920 | $347,550 | $159.58 |
| North Carolina | 1,930 | $314,290 | $347,690 | $151.10 |
| Virginia | 4,870 | $310,740 | $340,580 | $149.40 |
| New Jersey | 2,430 | $310,440 | $372,910 | $149.25 |
| Connecticut | 1,660 | $295,120 | $376,840 | $141.89 |
| Hawaii | 470 | $281,640 | $302,620 | $135.41 |
| South Dakota | 510 | $280,900 | $336,560 | $135.05 |
| New York | 8,430 | $257,980 | $351,160 | $124.03 |
| Texas | 8,780 | $257,850 | $310,660 | $123.97 |
| Michigan | 4,950 | $255,560 | $298,740 | $122.86 |
| Indiana | 1,820 | $254,180 | $284,910 | $122.20 |
| Maryland | 3,180 | $248,660 | $299,580 | $119.55 |
| Rhode Island | 460 | $235,360 | $341,100 | $113.15 |
| Pennsylvania | 8,850 | $232,560 | $302,990 | $111.81 |
| California | 34,700 | $218,600 | $272,920 | $105.10 |
| Nebraska | 2,510 | $214,680 | $264,120 | $103.21 |
| Colorado | not published | $213,370 | $240,440 | $102.58 |
| Iowa | 3,050 | $211,190 | $237,270 | $101.54 |
| Wisconsin | not published | $208,350 | $252,660 | $100.17 |
| Georgia | 4,080 | $208,180 | $275,840 | $100.09 |
| Delaware | 390 | $199,990 | $277,630 | $96.15 |
| Tennessee | 4,700 | $198,830 | $239,970 | $95.59 |
| Minnesota | 6,740 | $195,670 | $246,240 | $94.07 |
| Montana | 670 | $182,340 | $223,550 | $87.66 |
| Kentucky | 2,070 | $179,530 | $238,100 | $86.31 |
| Idaho | 2,920 | $177,210 | $221,580 | $85.20 |
| Ohio | 4,470 | $176,440 | $254,170 | $84.83 |
| Vermont | 360 | $175,070 | $250,520 | $84.17 |
| Missouri | 2,550 | $172,320 | $222,200 | $82.85 |
| Utah | 3,140 | $171,880 | $225,320 | $82.64 |
| South Carolina | 1,740 | $168,840 | $211,720 | $81.17 |
| New Hampshire | not published | $168,590 | $221,460 | $81.05 |
| Alaska | 640 | $166,710 | $220,770 | $80.15 |
| Alabama | 810 | $166,420 | $201,200 | $80.01 |
| North Dakota | 380 | $164,560 | $225,920 | $79.12 |
| Oklahoma | 2,390 | $163,790 | $200,930 | $78.74 |
| Kansas | 1,960 | $158,100 | $222,710 | $76.01 |
| West Virginia | 1,700 | $151,950 | $192,840 | $73.05 |
| Nevada | 1,370 | $149,770 | $235,840 | $72.01 |
| Wyoming | 60 | $147,940 | $162,830 | $71.13 |
| Mississippi | 310 | $139,250 | $173,720 | $66.95 |
| Maine | 1,580 | $138,770 | $191,480 | $66.72 |
| New Mexico | 100 | $123,500 | $152,720 | $59.38 |
| Arkansas | 3,550 | $119,990 | $164,930 | $57.69 |
| Virgin Islands | 130 | $104,010 | $134,570 | $50.00 |
| Puerto Rico | 2,690 | $97,510 | $127,540 | $46.88 |
| Massachusetts | 6,590 | not published | not published | not published |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Computer and Information Systems Managers$175,140 a year
- Architectural and Engineering Managers$171,270 a year
- Natural Sciences Managers$167,220 a year
Common questions
How much do Chief Executives earn in the United States?
The median pay was $213,990 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $75,700 and the highest-paid 10% more than $507,730.
How many people work as Chief Executives?
About 204,350 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.