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.
Chief Executive Salary by State (2026)
Chief Executives earn the most in Oregon at $341,630 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $97,510 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $213,990. All 48 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $341,630
- National median
- $213,990
- Lowest median
- $97,510
- States reporting
- 48
Oregon
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Puerto Rico
of 54 OEWS areas
Top 5 states for Chief Executives
- 1. Oregon$341,630 median · $330,521 adjusted · 910 employed
- 2. Washington$339,810 median · $317,541 adjusted · 3,170 employed
- 3. Illinois$331,920 median · $332,059 adjusted · 4,620 employed
- 4. North Carolina$314,290 median · $333,196 adjusted · 1,930 employed
- 5. Virginia$310,740 median · $307,347 adjusted · 4,870 employed
Lowest-paying states for Chief Executives
- 48. Puerto Rico$97,510 median · no price parity · 2,690 employed
- 47. U.S. Virgin Islands$104,010 median · no price parity · 130 employed
- 46. Arkansas$119,990 median · $138,019 adjusted · 3,550 employed
- 45. New Mexico$123,500 median · $133,931 adjusted · 100 employed
- 44. Maine$138,770 median · $142,988 adjusted · 1,580 employed
Chief Executive salary in every state
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $341,630 | $217,050 | $520,980 | 910 | $330,521 |
| 2 | Washington | $339,810 | $216,230 | $442,180 | 3,170 | $317,541 |
| 3 | Illinois | $331,920 | $186,440 | $428,710 | 4,620 | $332,059 |
| 4 | North Carolina | $314,290 | $182,980 | $442,080 | 1,930 | $333,196 |
| 5 | Virginia | $310,740 | $193,700 | $434,580 | 4,870 | $307,347 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $310,440 | $207,160 | $448,910 | 2,430 | $285,318 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $295,120 | $203,990 | $456,890 | 1,660 | $284,837 |
| 8 | Hawaii | $281,640 | $169,240 | $394,780 | 470 | $256,150 |
| 9 | South Dakota | $280,900 | $211,870 | $428,840 | 510 | $317,093 |
| 10 | New York | $257,980 | $178,980 | $419,730 | 8,430 | $239,045 |
| 11 | Texas | $257,850 | $172,490 | $399,880 | 8,780 | $265,669 |
| 12 | Michigan | $255,560 | $160,010 | $405,120 | 4,950 | $265,608 |
| 13 | Indiana | $254,180 | $134,000 | $377,760 | 1,820 | $272,348 |
| 14 | Maryland | $248,660 | $188,890 | $396,650 | 3,180 | $236,912 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $235,360 | $181,270 | $414,180 | 460 | $230,113 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $232,560 | $162,920 | $397,100 | 8,850 | $238,347 |
| 17 | California | $218,600 | $133,610 | $351,090 | 34,700 | $197,435 |
| 18 | Nebraska | $214,680 | $150,160 | $335,760 | 2,510 | $238,261 |
| 19 | Colorado | $213,370 | $134,380 | $302,380 | N/A | $207,051 |
| 20 | Iowa | $211,190 | $136,440 | $331,660 | 3,050 | $240,639 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $208,350 | $152,760 | $318,910 | N/A | $221,425 |
| 22 | Georgia | $208,180 | $109,290 | $378,450 | 4,080 | $216,194 |
| 23 | Delaware | $199,990 | $148,830 | $360,810 | 390 | $200,375 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $198,830 | $113,110 | $307,390 | 4,700 | $216,425 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $195,670 | $138,060 | $313,510 | 6,740 | $198,406 |
| 26 | Montana | $182,340 | $104,490 | $312,050 | 670 | $192,657 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $179,530 | $119,990 | $298,750 | 2,070 | $199,126 |
| 28 | Idaho | $177,210 | $133,310 | $296,580 | 2,920 | $185,572 |
| 29 | Ohio | $176,440 | $123,200 | $350,670 | 4,470 | $190,183 |
| 30 | Vermont | $175,070 | $138,160 | $303,920 | 360 | $178,719 |
| 31 | Missouri | $172,320 | $111,070 | $275,660 | 2,550 | $189,744 |
| 32 | Utah | $171,880 | $109,240 | $299,040 | 3,140 | $173,855 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $168,840 | $109,000 | $258,950 | 1,740 | $180,098 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | $168,590 | $139,360 | $232,570 | N/A | $161,849 |
| 35 | Alaska | $166,710 | $121,990 | $262,750 | 640 | $162,868 |
| 36 | Alabama | $166,420 | $134,650 | $222,490 | 810 | $187,361 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $164,560 | $129,610 | $240,090 | 380 | $184,984 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $163,790 | $104,740 | $240,480 | 2,390 | $186,458 |
| 39 | Kansas | $158,100 | $111,660 | $283,880 | 1,960 | $175,534 |
| 40 | West Virginia | $151,950 | $97,550 | $253,870 | 1,700 | $169,782 |
| 41 | Nevada | $149,770 | $99,340 | $279,600 | 1,370 | $149,801 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $147,940 | $123,790 | $205,620 | 60 | $159,606 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $139,250 | $119,580 | $185,680 | 310 | $160,144 |
| 44 | Maine | $138,770 | $92,240 | $233,540 | 1,580 | $142,988 |
| 45 | New Mexico | $123,500 | $43,710 | $195,970 | 100 | $133,931 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $119,990 | $72,580 | $196,800 | 3,550 | $138,019 |
| 47 | U.S. Virgin Islands | $104,010 | $82,430 | $143,670 | 130 | N/A |
| 48 | Puerto Rico | $97,510 | $71,840 | $155,990 | 2,690 | N/A |
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.
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?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Chief Executives at $97,510 a year, $244,120 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Chief Executives earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts North Carolina first at $333,196 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $314,290. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
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