Research Summary. After extensive research by the Zippia data science team, we identified these details of chief executive officer salary by state for the United States in 2026:
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Hawaii has the highest chief executive officer salary of $191,313
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Alaska has the lowest chief executive officer salary of $91,625
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The national average salary for chief executive officers is $192,260
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The national hourly pay for chief executive officers is $92.43
You can read more on the specific methodology.
Background
In 2026, as in previous years, salary remains a critical factor in job satisfaction across demographics. Many professionals inquire, “How much do chief executive officers earn in my area?” Understanding salary expectations is vital for career planning.
While individual salaries may vary based on qualifications and experience, we provide comprehensive data on average salaries for chief executive officers by state, adjusted for various factors including cost of living and industry demand. This information gives you a clearer picture of potential earnings in different locations.
The state with the best salary for chief executive officers remains Hawaii.
Here’s a quick snapshot of the top ten states for chief executive officer salaries:
Let’s take a look at how we got here and a full ranking of all the states.
Highest-Paid Chief Executive Officers By State
| Rank | State | Average Chief Executive Officer Salary | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $191,313 | $133,000 | $275,000 |
| 2 | Nevada | $182,253 | $124,000 | $266,000 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $180,498 | $122,000 | $265,000 |
| 4 | New York | $174,696 | $117,000 | $260,000 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $172,877 | $115,000 | $259,000 |
| 6 | California | $171,074 | $114,000 | $256,000 |
| 7 | Texas | $166,783 | $109,000 | $254,000 |
| 8 | Virginia | $164,430 | $107,000 | $251,000 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $162,546 | $105,000 | $249,000 |
| 10 | Illinois | $161,050 | $103,000 | $249,000 |
| 11 | Washington | $160,529 | $105,000 | $245,000 |
| 12 | Louisiana | $159,627 | $102,000 | $248,000 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $159,220 | $102,000 | $246,000 |
| 14 | Michigan | $159,144 | $102,000 | $247,000 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $158,545 | $102,000 | $246,000 |
| 16 | Maryland | $157,500 | $101,000 | $244,000 |
| 17 | Delaware | $157,008 | $101,000 | $243,000 |
| 18 | South Carolina | $156,510 | $99,000 | $245,000 |
| 19 | Georgia | $154,288 | $97,000 | $243,000 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $151,206 | $95,000 | $238,000 |
| 21 | Rhode Island | $150,469 | $95,000 | $237,000 |
| 22 | Colorado | $147,240 | $92,000 | $233,000 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $144,192 | $89,000 | $232,000 |
| 24 | Oregon | $143,235 | $90,000 | $227,000 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $142,091 | $87,000 | $231,000 |
| 26 | Florida | $141,788 | $87,000 | $229,000 |
| 27 | Ohio | $141,718 | $87,000 | $229,000 |
| 28 | Arizona | $141,312 | $88,000 | $225,000 |
| 29 | Indiana | $141,043 | $86,000 | $229,000 |
| 30 | West Virginia | $140,689 | $86,000 | $228,000 |
| 31 | New Hampshire | $140,421 | $86,000 | $227,000 |
| 32 | Kansas | $133,054 | $80,000 | $219,000 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $132,226 | $79,000 | $218,000 |
| 34 | Alabama | $132,080 | $79,000 | $219,000 |
| 35 | Vermont | $131,468 | $79,000 | $217,000 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $130,606 | $79,000 | $213,000 |
| 37 | Missouri | $128,806 | $77,000 | $214,000 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $127,897 | $76,000 | $214,000 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $122,579 | $72,000 | $207,000 |
| 40 | Iowa | $121,425 | $71,000 | $204,000 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $117,994 | $69,000 | $201,000 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $117,703 | $70,000 | $197,000 |
| 43 | North Dakota | $117,603 | $70,000 | $195,000 |
| 44 | Utah | $116,718 | $69,000 | $194,000 |
| 45 | Maine | $114,004 | $66,000 | $195,000 |
| 46 | Idaho | $113,145 | $67,000 | $189,000 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $105,159 | $60,000 | $182,000 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $98,915 | $57,000 | $169,000 |
| 49 | Montana | $92,104 | $54,000 | $155,000 |
| 50 | Alaska | $91,625 | $53,000 | $157,000 |
Methodology: Chief Executive Officer Salary By State
To better understand chief executive officer pay by state in 2026, Zippia has aggregated data across a multitude of channels, including the BLS, FLC, and OPM. We then supplement that data with actual listed salaries from job posts. Finally, our data science team calculates a weighted average of these inputs to create an average pay for chief executive officers by state.
We took the average annual salary data for chief executive officers from these estimates and ranked every state based on this criterion, with the state offering the highest salary ranking as the highest average salary for chief executive officers.
Chief Executive Officer Salary By State FAQs
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What is the highest-paid state for chief executive officers?
The highest-paid state for chief executive officers is Hawaii with an average salary of $191,313 per year.
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What city pays chief executive officers the most?
Urban Honolulu, HI pays chief executive officers the most with an average salary of $247,076 per year.
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What is the worst state for chief executive officers?
The worst state for chief executive officers is Alaska with an average salary of $91,625 per year.
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
