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Business development executive salary
Average business development executive salary
$97,871
Understanding Business Development Executive Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Business Development Executive is $97,871 annually, or approximately $47 per hour. Salaries in this field can vary significantly based on several factors, including industry, geographical location, and years of experience.
Where Do Business Development Executives Earn the Most?
States like California, New York, and Texas offer some of the highest salaries for this role, often exceeding the national average. In addition, sectors such as technology and finance tend to provide higher compensation rates compared to others.
Career Advancement Opportunities
For those looking to enhance their earning potential, pursuing advanced roles or specializing within high-demand industries can be beneficial. Networking and continuous skill development are key strategies for career growth. Explore the various paths available to business development executives and how to position yourself for top-paying opportunities.
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Where can a Business Development Executive earn more?
Business development executive salary estimates from across the web
Average business development executive salary by state
The highest-paying states for business development executives are Arizona, Pennsylvania, and California. The lowest average business development executive salary states are Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for business development executives
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $116,803 | $56.16 |
| 2 | Nevada | $100,729 | $48.43 |
| 3 | Michigan | $100,327 | $48.23 |
| 4 | Indiana | $109,029 | $52.42 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $113,541 | $54.59 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $100,167 | $48.16 |
| 7 | California | $112,012 | $53.85 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $106,011 | $50.97 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $91,412 | $43.95 |
| 10 | Washington | $103,034 | $49.54 |
| 11 | Georgia | $94,312 | $45.34 |
| 12 | Texas | $98,018 | $47.12 |
| 13 | Montana | $89,221 | $42.89 |
| 14 | Oregon | $95,958 | $46.13 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $95,882 | $46.10 |
| 16 | Ohio | $86,731 | $41.70 |
| 17 | Idaho | $95,495 | $45.91 |
| 18 | New York | $95,972 | $46.14 |
| 19 | District of Columbia | $90,807 | $43.66 |
| 20 | Kentucky | $85,928 | $41.31 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $85,695 | $41.20 |
| 22 | Rhode Island | $90,193 | $43.36 |
| 23 | South Dakota | $84,115 | $40.44 |
| 24 | Iowa | $84,957 | $40.84 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $88,557 | $42.58 |
| 26 | Utah | $88,446 | $42.52 |
| 27 | Illinois | $87,292 | $41.97 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $83,403 | $40.10 |
| 29 | Delaware | $90,602 | $43.56 |
| 30 | Louisiana | $84,654 | $40.70 |
| 31 | Colorado | $90,697 | $43.60 |
| 32 | Connecticut | $91,171 | $43.83 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $80,436 | $38.67 |
| 34 | Virginia | $90,468 | $43.49 |
| 35 | North Dakota | $81,604 | $39.23 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $79,533 | $38.24 |
| 37 | Maryland | $92,100 | $44.28 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $84,281 | $40.52 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $83,078 | $39.94 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $79,183 | $38.07 |
| 41 | Alabama | $81,297 | $39.09 |
| 42 | Missouri | $79,239 | $38.10 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $82,834 | $39.82 |
| 44 | New Hampshire | $84,611 | $40.68 |
| 45 | Kansas | $74,877 | $36.00 |
| 46 | Alaska | $75,609 | $36.35 |
| 47 | Florida | $80,673 | $38.79 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $77,432 | $37.23 |
| 49 | Vermont | $81,042 | $38.96 |
| 50 | Maine | $79,284 | $38.12 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $66,672 | $32.05 |
Highest paying cities for business development executives
The highest-paying cities for business development executives are Phoenix, AZ, San Francisco, CA, and Philadelphia, PA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phoenix, AZ | $117,681 | $56.58 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $117,432 | $56.46 |
| 3 | Philadelphia, PA | $114,221 | $54.91 |
| 4 | Indianapolis, IN | $109,288 | $52.54 |
| 5 | East Brunswick, NJ | $106,083 | $51.00 |
| 6 | Seattle, WA | $103,677 | $49.84 |
| 7 | Detroit, MI | $100,636 | $48.38 |
| 8 | Boston, MA | $99,887 | $48.02 |
| 9 | Fort Worth, TX | $98,930 | $47.56 |
| 10 | Raleigh, NC | $96,921 | $46.60 |
| 11 | New York, NY | $96,258 | $46.28 |
| 12 | Portland, OR | $94,795 | $45.57 |
| 13 | Atlanta, GA | $94,293 | $45.33 |
| 14 | Rockville, MD | $92,035 | $44.25 |
| 15 | Arlington, VA | $90,894 | $43.70 |
| 16 | Washington, DC | $90,836 | $43.67 |
| 17 | Newark, DE | $90,655 | $43.58 |
| 18 | Denver, CO | $90,410 | $43.47 |
| 19 | Chicago, IL | $87,433 | $42.04 |
| 20 | Cleveland, OH | $86,972 | $41.81 |
Business development executive salary details
A business development executive's salary ranges from $64,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $149,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a business development executive's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $149,000 | $12,417 | $72 |
| 75th Percentile | $122,000 | $10,167 | $59 |
| Average | $97,871 | $8,156 | $47 |
| 25th Percentile | $78,000 | $6,500 | $38 |
| 10th Percentile | $64,000 | $5,333 | $31 |
Highest paying business development executive jobs
The highest paying types of business development executives are vice president, business development, head of business development, and senior business development manager.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director Of Sales & Business Development | $82,584 | $6,882 | $39.70 | 163,561 |
| Sales Development Manager | $102,790 | $8,566 | $49.42 | 171,101 |
| Vice President, Business Development | $165,159 | $13,763 | $79.40 | 188,137 |
| Director New Business Development | $110,272 | $9,189 | $53.02 | 154,470 |
| Business Development Account Manager | $99,209 | $8,267 | $47.70 | 222,573 |
| Head Of Business Development | $134,190 | $11,182 | $64.51 | 158,539 |
Top companies hiring business development executives now:
Which companies pay business development executives the most?
Business development executive salaries at Clifford Chance and Genentech are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average business development executive salary at companies like Google and Instacart are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clifford Chance | $160,497 | $77.16 |
| 2 | Genentech | $145,522 | $69.96 |
| 3 | $144,718 | $69.58 | |
| 4 | Instacart | $142,307 | $68.42 |
| 5 | Amazon | $141,893 | $68.22 |
| 6 | Milliman | $140,639 | $67.61 |
| 7 | Abt Associates | $138,024 | $66.36 |
| 8 | PitchBook Data | $137,584 | $66.15 |
| 9 | EMCOR Group | $134,304 | $64.57 |
| 10 | CVS Health | $132,744 | $63.82 |
| 11 | Avanade | $131,311 | $63.13 |
| 12 | Hearst | $129,358 | $62.19 |
| 13 | Huron Consulting Group | $128,212 | $61.64 |
| 14 | Bunge | $124,072 | $59.65 |
| 15 | Vista Equity Partners | $123,526 | $59.39 |
| 16 | Amd | $123,162 | $59.21 |
| 17 | Grant Thornton | $122,393 | $58.84 |
| 18 | AmerisourceBergen | $121,661 | $58.49 |
| 19 | Autodesk | $120,924 | $58.14 |
| 20 | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory | $118,845 | $57.14 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Business Development Executive salary by industry
The average business development executive salary varies across industries:
- The average business development executive salary in the pharmaceutical industry is $112,177, the highest of any industry.
- The average business development executive salary in the finance industry is $99,908.
- Business development executives in the transportation industry earn an average salary of $80,098, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for business development executives
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pharmaceutical | $112,177 | $53.93 |
| 2 | Finance | $99,908 | $48.03 |
| 3 | Media | $99,464 | $47.82 |
| 4 | Internet | $93,706 | $45.05 |
| 5 | Technology | $92,697 | $44.57 |
| 6 | Retail | $91,666 | $44.07 |
| 7 | Health Care | $90,419 | $43.47 |
| 8 | Professional | $90,124 | $43.33 |
| 9 | Transportation | $80,098 | $38.51 |
High paying business development executive jobs
Business development executive salary trends
The average business development executive salary has risen by $18,009 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average business development executive earned $79,862 annually, but today, they earn $97,871 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for business development executives over the last decade.
Compare business development executive salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average business development executive salary over time
Compare business development executive salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Business development executive salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $97,900 | $47.05 | +3.7% |
| 2024 | $94,200 | $45.29 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $92,400 | $44.45 | +1.5% |
| 2022 | $91,000 | $43.76 | +0.8% |
| 2021 | $90,300 | $43.42 | +1.9% |
Recently added business development executive salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ntrs | SR. Wealth Strategist/Client Business Development Executive | San Francisco, CA | 06/30/2025 | $158,010 |
| Ntrs | Business Development Executive (External Wholesaler, Intermediary Channel)-Dallas, TX Area | Dallas, TX | 06/30/2025 | $130,530 |
| Ntrs | Business Development Executive (External Wholesaler, Intermediary Channel)-Midatlantic | Philadelphia, PA | 06/30/2025 | $130,530 |
| Ingram Micro | Development Executive-Lenovo ISG | Scottsdale, AZ | 06/29/2025 | $67,300 |
| Ingram Micro | Development Executive-Lenovo ISG | Greer, SC | 06/29/2025 | $67,300 |
| Get It-Marketing | Business Development Executive (BDE)-Digital Marketing Firm-Remote | WFH | Phoenix, AZ | 06/29/2025 | $50,000 |
| Infosys Ltd. | Business Development Executive | New York, NY | 06/28/2025 | $88,000 |
| Servpro | Business Development Account Executive | Wilmington, MA | 06/28/2025 | $65,000 |
| Affinity | Business Development Executive | West Palm Beach, FL | 06/28/2025 | $80,000 |
| Ensono | SR. Business Development Executive | Dover, DE | 06/27/2025 | $100,000 |
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