Chief Executives Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for chief executivess across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $269,630 ≈ $130/hr
National median salary $213,990
Total employment 204,350 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +4.3%
Faster than average
Annual openings 22,200 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 309,400 → 322,700 (+13,300)
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Oregon$403,380
- Connecticut$376,840
- New Jersey$372,910
- Washington$360,290
- New York$351,160
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- New Mexico$152,720
- Wyoming$162,830
- Arkansas$164,930
- Mississippi$173,720
- Maine$191,480
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $403,380 | $341,630 | $194 | +49.6% | 910 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $376,840 | $295,120 | $181 | +39.8% | 1,660 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $372,910 | $310,440 | $179 | +38.3% | 2,430 |
| 4 | Washington | $360,290 | $339,810 | $173 | +33.6% | 3,170 |
| 5 | New York | $351,160 | $257,980 | $169 | +30.2% | 8,430 |
| 6 | North Carolina | $347,690 | $314,290 | $167 | +29% | 1,930 |
| 7 | Illinois | $347,550 | $331,920 | $167 | +28.9% | 4,620 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $341,100 | $235,360 | $164 | +26.5% | 460 |
| 9 | Virginia | $340,580 | $310,740 | $164 | +26.3% | 4,870 |
| 10 | South Dakota | $336,560 | $280,900 | $162 | +24.8% | 510 |
| 11 | Texas | $310,660 | $257,850 | $149 | +15.2% | 8,780 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $302,990 | $232,560 | $146 | +12.4% | 8,850 |
| 13 | Hawaii | $302,620 | $281,640 | $145 | +12.2% | 470 |
| 14 | Maryland | $299,580 | $248,660 | $144 | +11.1% | 3,180 |
| 15 | Michigan | $298,740 | $255,560 | $144 | +10.8% | 4,950 |
| 16 | Indiana | $284,910 | $254,180 | $137 | +5.7% | 1,820 |
| 17 | Delaware | $277,630 | $199,990 | $133 | +3% | 390 |
| 18 | Georgia | $275,840 | $208,180 | $133 | +2.3% | 4,080 |
| 19 | California | $272,920 | $218,600 | $131 | +1.2% | 34,700 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $264,120 | $214,680 | $127 | -2% | 2,510 |
| 21 | Ohio | $254,170 | $176,440 | $122 | -5.7% | 4,470 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $252,660 | $208,350 | $121 | -6.3% | — |
| 23 | Vermont | $250,520 | $175,070 | $120 | -7.1% | 360 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $246,240 | $195,670 | $118 | -8.7% | 6,740 |
| 25 | Colorado | $240,440 | $213,370 | $116 | -10.8% | — |
| 26 | Tennessee | $239,970 | $198,830 | $115 | -11% | 4,700 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $238,100 | $179,530 | $114 | -11.7% | 2,070 |
| 28 | Iowa | $237,270 | $211,190 | $114 | -12% | 3,050 |
| 29 | Nevada | $235,840 | $149,770 | $113 | -12.5% | 1,370 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $225,920 | $164,560 | $109 | -16.2% | 380 |
| 31 | Utah | $225,320 | $171,880 | $108 | -16.4% | 3,140 |
| 32 | Montana | $223,550 | $182,340 | $107 | -17.1% | 670 |
| 33 | Kansas | $222,710 | $158,100 | $107 | -17.4% | 1,960 |
| 34 | Missouri | $222,200 | $172,320 | $107 | -17.6% | 2,550 |
| 35 | Idaho | $221,580 | $177,210 | $107 | -17.8% | 2,920 |
| 36 | New Hampshire | $221,460 | $168,590 | $106 | -17.9% | — |
| 37 | Alaska | $220,770 | $166,710 | $106 | -18.1% | 640 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $211,720 | $168,840 | $102 | -21.5% | 1,740 |
| 39 | Alabama | $201,200 | $166,420 | $97 | -25.4% | 810 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $200,930 | $163,790 | $97 | -25.5% | 2,390 |
| 41 | West Virginia | $192,840 | $151,950 | $93 | -28.5% | 1,700 |
| 42 | Maine | $191,480 | $138,770 | $92 | -29% | 1,580 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $173,720 | $139,250 | $84 | -35.6% | 310 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $164,930 | $119,990 | $79 | -38.8% | 3,550 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $162,830 | $147,940 | $78 | -39.6% | 60 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $152,720 | $123,500 | $73 | -43.4% | 100 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 449 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medford, OR | $615,500 | $503,650 | 40 |
| 2 | Midland, MI | $587,950 | $493,680 | 60 |
| 3 | Midland, TX | $389,330 | $400,240 | 100 |
| 4 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $388,060 | $447,290 | 480 |
| 5 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $381,330 | $425,580 | 140 |
| 6 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $375,810 | $420,320 | 690 |
| 7 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $370,000 | $393,060 | 2,060 |
| 8 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | $354,310 | $393,980 | 160 |
| 9 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $344,960 | $357,220 | 3,610 |
| 10 | Evansville, IN | $339,330 | $323,220 | 40 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing chief executivess (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rail Transportation | $667,600 | $551,180 | 70 |
| 2 | Rail Transportation | $667,600 | $551,180 | 70 |
| 3 | Water Transportation | $575,620 | $474,770 | 80 |
| 4 | Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation | $575,620 | $498,460 | 80 |
| 5 | Coal Mining | $510,000 | $463,590 | — |
| 6 | Support Activities for Water Transportation | $506,570 | $448,130 | 150 |
| 7 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, State Government Owned | $471,910 | $535,610 | 90 |
| 8 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, Privately Owned | $442,070 | $466,740 | 2,370 |
| 9 | Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities | $431,020 | $480,300 | 4,700 |
| 10 | Pipeline Transportation | $429,350 | $384,440 | 30 |
| 11 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $421,690 | $446,150 | 3,070 |
| 12 | Hospitals, Privately Owned | $419,260 | $447,780 | 2,830 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do chief executives make in the U.S.?
The median chief executives salary in the United States is $213,990 per year (mean $269,630), and about 80% earn between $75,700 and $507,730.
How much do chief executives make per hour?
Roughly $130 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $269,630 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays chief executives the most?
Oregon has the highest average pay for chief executives at $403,380 per year (median $341,630).
What is the job outlook for chief executives?
Employment is projected to change +4.3% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 22,200 openings per year.
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