Pay by state · 48 areas
Chief Executive Salary by State (2026)
Chief Executives earn the most in Oregon at $341,630 a year and the least in Arkansas at $119,990 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $213,990. The table below covers 46 states, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $341,630Oregon
- National median
- $213,990BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $119,990Arkansas
- Areas reporting
- 48of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for chief executives
Ranked on the state median among the 46 reporting states. After cost of living, North Carolina comes out ahead instead. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1Oregon$341,630
- 2Washington$339,810
- 3Illinois$331,920
- 4North Carolina$314,290
- 5Virginia$310,740
Lowest median pay
- 1Arkansas$119,990
- 2New Mexico$123,500
- 3Maine$138,770
- 4Mississippi$139,250
- 5Wyoming$147,940
All states
Chief Executive salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of chief executives OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OROregon | $341,630 | $217,050 | $520,980 | 910 | $330,521 |
| 2 | WAWashington | $339,810 | $216,230 | $442,180 | 3,170 | $317,541 |
| 3 | ILIllinois | $331,920 | $186,440 | $428,710 | 4,620 | $332,059 |
| 4 | NCNorth Carolina | $314,290 | $182,980 | $442,080 | 1,930 | $333,196 |
| 5 | VAVirginia | $310,740 | $193,700 | $434,580 | 4,870 | $307,347 |
| 6 | NJNew Jersey | $310,440 | $207,160 | $448,910 | 2,430 | $285,318 |
| 7 | CTConnecticut | $295,120 | $203,990 | $456,890 | 1,660 | $284,837 |
| 8 | HIHawaii | $281,640 | $169,240 | $394,780 | 470 | $256,150 |
| 9 | SDSouth Dakota | $280,900 | $211,870 | $428,840 | 510 | $317,093 |
| 10 | NYNew York | $257,980 | $178,980 | $419,730 | 8,430 | $239,045 |
| 11 | TXTexas | $257,850 | $172,490 | $399,880 | 8,780 | $265,669 |
| 12 | MIMichigan | $255,560 | $160,010 | $405,120 | 4,950 | $265,608 |
| 13 | INIndiana | $254,180 | $134,000 | $377,760 | 1,820 | $272,348 |
| 14 | MDMaryland | $248,660 | $188,890 | $396,650 | 3,180 | $236,912 |
| 15 | RIRhode Island | $235,360 | $181,270 | $414,180 | 460 | $230,113 |
| 16 | PAPennsylvania | $232,560 | $162,920 | $397,100 | 8,850 | $238,347 |
| 17 | CACalifornia | $218,600 | $133,610 | $351,090 | 34,700 | $197,435 |
| 18 | NENebraska | $214,680 | $150,160 | $335,760 | 2,510 | $238,261 |
| 19 | COColorado | $213,370 | $134,380 | $302,380 | N/A | $207,051 |
| 20 | IAIowa | $211,190 | $136,440 | $331,660 | 3,050 | $240,639 |
| 21 | WIWisconsin | $208,350 | $152,760 | $318,910 | N/A | $221,425 |
| 22 | GAGeorgia | $208,180 | $109,290 | $378,450 | 4,080 | $216,194 |
| 23 | DEDelaware | $199,990 | $148,830 | $360,810 | 390 | $200,375 |
| 24 | TNTennessee | $198,830 | $113,110 | $307,390 | 4,700 | $216,425 |
| 25 | MNMinnesota | $195,670 | $138,060 | $313,510 | 6,740 | $198,406 |
| 26 | MTMontana | $182,340 | $104,490 | $312,050 | 670 | $192,657 |
| 27 | KYKentucky | $179,530 | $119,990 | $298,750 | 2,070 | $199,126 |
| 28 | IDIdaho | $177,210 | $133,310 | $296,580 | 2,920 | $185,572 |
| 29 | OHOhio | $176,440 | $123,200 | $350,670 | 4,470 | $190,183 |
| 30 | VTVermont | $175,070 | $138,160 | $303,920 | 360 | $178,719 |
| 31 | MOMissouri | $172,320 | $111,070 | $275,660 | 2,550 | $189,744 |
| 32 | UTUtah | $171,880 | $109,240 | $299,040 | 3,140 | $173,855 |
| 33 | SCSouth Carolina | $168,840 | $109,000 | $258,950 | 1,740 | $180,098 |
| 34 | NHNew Hampshire | $168,590 | $139,360 | $232,570 | N/A | $161,849 |
| 35 | AKAlaska | $166,710 | $121,990 | $262,750 | 640 | $162,868 |
| 36 | ALAlabama | $166,420 | $134,650 | $222,490 | 810 | $187,361 |
| 37 | NDNorth Dakota | $164,560 | $129,610 | $240,090 | 380 | $184,984 |
| 38 | OKOklahoma | $163,790 | $104,740 | $240,480 | 2,390 | $186,458 |
| 39 | KSKansas | $158,100 | $111,660 | $283,880 | 1,960 | $175,534 |
| 40 | WVWest Virginia | $151,950 | $97,550 | $253,870 | 1,700 | $169,782 |
| 41 | NVNevada | $149,770 | $99,340 | $279,600 | 1,370 | $149,801 |
| 42 | WYWyoming | $147,940 | $123,790 | $205,620 | 60 | $159,606 |
| 43 | MSMississippi | $139,250 | $119,580 | $185,680 | 310 | $160,144 |
| 44 | MEMaine | $138,770 | $92,240 | $233,540 | 1,580 | $142,988 |
| 45 | NMNew Mexico | $123,500 | $43,710 | $195,970 | 100 | $133,931 |
| 46 | ARArkansas | $119,990 | $72,580 | $196,800 | 3,550 | $138,019 |
| 47 | VIU.S. Virgin Islands | $104,010 | $82,430 | $143,670 | 130 | N/A |
| 48 | PRPuerto Rico | $97,510 | $71,840 | $155,990 | 2,690 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For chief executives, that changes the ranking: Oregon leads on raw pay at $341,630, while North Carolina leads once prices are taken into account at $333,196.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Chief Executive pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays chief executives the most?
Oregon reports the highest median wage for chief executives at $341,630 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Washington ($339,810) and Illinois ($331,920).
Which state pays chief executives the least?
Among the 46 reporting states, Arkansas reports the lowest median for chief executives at $119,990 a year, $221,640 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, U.S. Virgin Islands reports $104,010 and Puerto Rico reports $97,510.
In which states do chief executives earn over $100,000?
All 46 reporting states: even the lowest, Arkansas, has a median of $119,990 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is the highest-paying state the best for chief executives after cost of living?
Not on this data. Oregon pays the most on paper ($341,630) but ranks 3rd of 46 once each median is divided by the state's BEA Regional Price Parity ($330,521). North Carolina leads after that adjustment at $333,196, from a raw median of $314,290. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.