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The national median salary for Chief Executives is $213,990 per year ($102.88/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $129,542 and $356,200 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $507,728 per year. There are approximately 204,350 chief executives employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+4.3%
Faster than average
Annual openings
22K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
309K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
6% from new growth94% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
5 years or more
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Management of Companies and Enterprises
NAICS 551100
15K
$358,310
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
15K
$142,710
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services
NAICS 541600
13K
$163,900
Elementary and Secondary Schools
NAICS 611100
12K
$176,720
Computer Systems Design and Related Services
NAICS 541500
9K
$294,260
Wage range across top 5 industries: $142,710 to $358,310 (151% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$36.39
$75,691
P25
$62.28
$129,542
P50MEDIAN
$102.88
$213,990
P75
$171.25
$356,200
P90
$244.10
$507,728
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
3.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market rebounded in March: hires jumped to 5.6M (+655K) and separations rose to 5.4M (+356K), both more than offsetting February's drop. Job openings held at 6.9M. Quits ticked to 2.0%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average chief executives salary?
The national median salary for Chief Executives is $213,990 per year ($102.88/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $129,542 and $356,200 annually.
How much do top-earning chief executives make?
The 90th percentile salary for Chief Executives is $507,728 per year ($244.10/hr). The 75th percentile is $356,200 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for chief executives?
Entry-level Chief Executives (10th percentile) earn approximately $75,691 per year ($36.39/hr). The 25th percentile is $129,542 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.