State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Chief Executive Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Chief Executives earn a median of $213,990 per year ($102.88/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 4.3% through 2034, with about 22,200 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
SOC 11-1011ManagementLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $213,990
- Projected growth
- +4.3%
- Openings a year
- 22,200
- Typical education
- Bachelor's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: CEO (Chief Executive Officer), Chief Diversity Officer (CDO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Information Officer (CIO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), Chief Technical Officer (CTO).
How much do Chief Executives make?
10th percentile$75,700
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$129,540
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$213,990
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$356,200
Upper quartile
90th percentile$507,730
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $213,990 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $102.88/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $269,630 |
| People employed | 204,350 |
Versus all US occupations
At $213,990, Chief Executives earn 320% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $163,010 a year.
Versus management occupations
Inside the Management group, where the middle occupation pays $126,060, this is 70% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $507,730 or more while the bottom 10% earn $75,700, a gap of 6.7×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 97% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Oregon posts the highest raw median ($341,630), but once local prices are taken into account North Carolina leads at $333,196 in national-average dollars.
Which states pay Chief Executives the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $341,630 | $330,521 | 910 |
| Washington | $339,810 | $317,541 | 3,170 |
| Illinois | $331,920 | $332,059 | 4,620 |
| North Carolina | $314,290 | $333,196 | 1,930 |
| Virginia | $310,740 | $307,347 | 4,870 |
| New Jersey | $310,440 | $285,318 | 2,430 |
| Connecticut | $295,120 | $284,837 | 1,660 |
| Hawaii | $281,640 | $256,150 | 470 |
| South Dakota | $280,900 | $317,093 | 510 |
| New York | $257,980 | $239,045 | 8,430 |
Is Chief Executive a growing career?
Chief Executives4.3%
All US occupations3.1%
+4.3% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Chief Executives to change 4.3% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 13,300 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 22,200 openings are projected each year, 7.2% of the 309,400 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of top executives is projected to grow 4 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Demand for general and operations managers is projected to grow as organizations increasingly rely on these workers for help in functioning smoothly.
Chief executives will be needed in organizations to govern and make high-level decisions. For example, they will be needed in corporate settings to oversee and manage strategy, budgets, and their respective departments, such as finance or information technology (IT).
How to become a Chief Executive
Top executives typically need at least a bachelor’s degree and considerable work experience to enter the occupation.
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Considerable preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | 5 years or more |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as chief executives.
- Master's Degree45.9%
- Bachelor's Degree32.3%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)5.2%
- Doctoral Degree4.9%
- High School Diploma4.5%
What does a Chief Executive do?
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.
Top executives plan strategies and policies to ensure that an organization meets its goals. They coordinate and direct work activities of companies and organizations.
Day-to-day tasks
- 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, plan, or implement policies, objectives, or activities of organizations or businesses to ensure continuing operations, to maximize returns on investments, or to increase productivity.
- Interpret and explain policies, rules, regulations, or laws to organizations, government or corporate officials, or individuals.
- Review reports submitted by staff members to recommend approval or to suggest changes.
- Prepare budgets for approval, including those for funding or implementation of programs.
- Appoint department heads or managers and assign or delegate responsibilities to them.
- Prepare or present reports concerning activities, expenses, budgets, government statutes or rulings, or other items affecting businesses or program services.
- Deliver speeches, write articles, or present information at meetings or conventions to promote services, exchange ideas, or accomplish objectives.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where chief executives work
| Self-employed workers | 26% |
|---|---|
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 13% |
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | 9% |
| Healthcare and social assistance | 6% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 5% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Critical Thinking4.4/5
- Speaking4.3/5
- Reading Comprehension4.1/5
- Writing4.1/5
- Active Listening4.0/5
- Monitoring4.0/5
- Active Learning3.8/5
- Mathematics3.3/5
Transferable skills
- Judgment and Decision Making4.8/5
- Complex Problem Solving4.4/5
- Coordination4.3/5
- Systems Evaluation4.3/5
- Management of Financial Resources4.3/5
- Management of Personnel Resources4.3/5
- Social Perceptiveness4.1/5
- Negotiation4.1/5
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Content workflow software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise application integration software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web platform development software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Chief Executive?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic1.3
Investigative3.0
Artistic2.2
Socialprimary3.5
Enterprisingprimary7.0
Conventionalprimary5.0
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Chief Executive: frequently asked questions
How much do Chief Executives make?
Chief Executives earn a median of $213,990 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 320% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $102.88/hr. The middle half earn between $129,540 and $356,200. The top 10% earn $507,730 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Chief Executive?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Chief Executives, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as considerable preparation. Employers typically expect 5 years or more of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 45.9% hold master's degree.
Is Chief Executive a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 4.3% over 2024–2034, faster than the 3.1% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 22,200 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Chief Executive do?
Top executives plan strategies and policies to ensure that an organization meets its goals. A core O*NET task: 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. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Content workflow software, Data base user interface and query software.
Which states pay Chief Executives the most?
The highest state medians for Chief Executives are Oregon ($341,630), Washington ($339,810), Illinois ($331,920) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, North Carolina moves to the top at $333,196.
What personality type suits a Chief Executive?
O*NET scores Chief Executives highest on the Enterprising, Conventional and Social interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESTJ, ESFJ, ENTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.