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Business leader salary
Average business leader salary
$90,430
Average Business Leader Salary
The salary for a business leader is influenced by several factors including experience, industry, and geographical location. As of October 2025, the national average salary for this role is $90,430 per year. Entry-level positions typically start at lower wage points, around $55,000, while experienced leaders can earn upwards of $130,000 annually.
Where Can Business Leaders Earn More?
Business leaders in states such as California, New York, and Massachusetts often see higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals. For instance, salaries in California can reach up to $110,000, whereas states like Texas may average around $85,000.
Business Leader Salaries by Experience Level
- Entry-level (0-2 years): $55,000-$70,000
- Mid-level (3-5 years): $70,000-$100,000
- Senior-level (5+ years): $100,000-$130,000+
Understanding these salary ranges can assist professionals in setting career goals and negotiating compensation packages effectively. Visit Zippia for more resources on job opportunities and salary insights.
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Where can a Business Leader earn more?
Business leader salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level business leader | $37,200 | $17.91 |
| Mid-level business leader | $57,500 | $27.66 |
| Senior-level business leader | $104,000 | $50.15 |
Business leader salary estimates from across the web
Average business leader salary by state
The highest-paying states for business leaders are New York, Washington, and New Jersey. The lowest average business leader salary states are South Carolina, Oklahoma, and Hawaii.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for business leaders
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $119,270 | $57.34 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $94,975 | $45.66 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $96,691 | $46.49 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $93,186 | $44.80 |
| 5 | New York | $123,584 | $59.42 |
| 6 | South Dakota | $86,300 | $41.49 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $109,092 | $52.45 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $87,505 | $42.07 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | $85,874 | $41.29 |
| 10 | Delaware | $96,111 | $46.21 |
| 11 | California | $95,782 | $46.05 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $95,135 | $45.74 |
| 13 | North Dakota | $75,228 | $36.17 |
| 14 | Oregon | $80,753 | $38.82 |
| 15 | Illinois | $90,634 | $43.57 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $76,491 | $36.77 |
| 17 | Nebraska | $73,351 | $35.26 |
| 18 | Colorado | $86,753 | $41.71 |
| 19 | Alaska | $73,384 | $35.28 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $78,358 | $37.67 |
| 21 | Michigan | $72,108 | $34.67 |
| 22 | Maine | $77,548 | $37.28 |
| 23 | Ohio | $68,108 | $32.74 |
| 24 | Virginia | $79,604 | $38.27 |
| 25 | Arizona | $76,666 | $36.86 |
| 26 | Montana | $65,143 | $31.32 |
| 27 | Nevada | $66,593 | $32.02 |
| 28 | Vermont | $74,581 | $35.86 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $72,912 | $35.05 |
| 30 | Kansas | $65,501 | $31.49 |
| 31 | Idaho | $73,493 | $35.33 |
| 32 | Texas | $70,794 | $34.04 |
| 33 | Indiana | $64,687 | $31.10 |
| 34 | Maryland | $76,059 | $36.57 |
| 35 | Alabama | $63,025 | $30.30 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $63,067 | $30.32 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $61,422 | $29.53 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $51,797 | $24.90 |
| 39 | Iowa | $58,680 | $28.21 |
| 40 | New Mexico | $60,733 | $29.20 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $60,202 | $28.94 |
| 42 | Georgia | $64,185 | $30.86 |
| 43 | Missouri | $56,849 | $27.33 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $62,690 | $30.14 |
| 45 | Utah | $51,590 | $24.80 |
| 46 | Florida | $63,425 | $30.49 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $54,720 | $26.31 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $54,616 | $26.26 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $53,856 | $25.89 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $55,457 | $26.66 |
| 51 | Kentucky | $48,976 | $23.55 |
Highest paying cities for business leaders
The highest-paying cities for business leaders are New York, NY, Seattle, WA, and San Francisco, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $124,329 | $59.77 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $121,241 | $58.29 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $111,304 | $53.51 |
| 4 | Jersey City, NJ | $110,095 | $52.93 |
| 5 | Wilmington, DE | $96,882 | $46.58 |
| 6 | Washington, DC | $96,677 | $46.48 |
| 7 | Philadelphia, PA | $95,239 | $45.79 |
| 8 | Providence, RI | $93,282 | $44.85 |
| 9 | Northbrook, IL | $92,284 | $44.37 |
| 10 | Boston, MA | $87,715 | $42.17 |
| 11 | Denver, CO | $86,790 | $41.73 |
| 12 | Milwaukee, WI | $85,991 | $41.34 |
| 13 | McLean, VA | $83,941 | $40.36 |
| 14 | Phoenix, AZ | $77,160 | $37.10 |
| 15 | Saint Paul, MN | $76,660 | $36.86 |
| 16 | Baltimore, MD | $76,597 | $36.83 |
| 17 | Raleigh, NC | $73,897 | $35.53 |
| 18 | Lincoln, NE | $72,905 | $35.05 |
| 19 | Dallas, TX | $71,498 | $34.37 |
| 20 | Columbus, OH | $66,650 | $32.04 |
Business leader salary details
A business leader's salary ranges from $56,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $145,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a business leader's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $145,000 | $12,083 | $70 |
| 75th Percentile | $116,000 | $9,667 | $56 |
| Average | $90,430 | $7,536 | $43 |
| 25th Percentile | $70,000 | $5,833 | $34 |
| 10th Percentile | $56,000 | $4,667 | $27 |
Highest paying business leader jobs
The highest paying types of business leaders are senior business manager, head of business development, and executive consultant.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Process Improvement Manager | $105,454 | $8,788 | $50.70 | 177,168 |
| Director Of Business Operations | $111,945 | $9,329 | $53.82 | 202,032 |
| Manager Of Business Services | $98,244 | $8,187 | $47.23 | 313,139 |
| Head Of Business Development | $134,190 | $11,182 | $64.51 | 158,539 |
| Business Operations Manager | $91,512 | $7,626 | $44.00 | 279,870 |
| Business Development Officer | $77,778 | $6,481 | $37.39 | 169,947 |
Top companies hiring business leaders now:
Which companies pay business leaders the most?
Business leader salaries at Lyft and Meta are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average business leader salary at companies like TBWA Worldwide and World Fuel Services are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lyft | $151,018 | $72.60 |
| 2 | Meta | $150,704 | $72.45 |
| 3 | TBWA Worldwide | $150,642 | $72.42 |
| 4 | World Fuel Services | $149,341 | $71.80 |
| 5 | Control Risks | $149,061 | $71.66 |
| 6 | Devon Energy | $149,012 | $71.64 |
| 7 | Airbnb | $146,766 | $70.56 |
| 8 | Credit Suisse | $145,783 | $70.09 |
| 9 | Apple | $145,538 | $69.97 |
| 10 | $145,423 | $69.91 | |
| 11 | DoorDash | $141,045 | $67.81 |
| 12 | Biogen | $137,041 | $65.89 |
| 13 | PayPal | $136,711 | $65.73 |
| 14 | AstraZeneca | $136,548 | $65.65 |
| 15 | Accenture | $136,513 | $65.63 |
| 16 | DTCC | $135,465 | $65.13 |
| 17 | UST Global | $134,356 | $64.59 |
| 18 | Postmates | $134,005 | $64.43 |
| 19 | SoFi | $133,723 | $64.29 |
| 20 | Airtable | $133,337 | $64.10 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Business Leader salary by industry
The average business leader salary varies across industries:
- The average business leader salary in the pharmaceutical industry is $128,816, the highest of any industry.
- The average business leader salary in the finance industry is $118,590.
- Business leaders in the agriculture industry earn an average salary of $96,599, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for business leaders
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pharmaceutical | $128,816 | $61.93 |
| 2 | Professional | $118,590 | $57.01 |
| 3 | Technology | $108,929 | $52.37 |
| 4 | Finance | $107,778 | $51.82 |
| 5 | Manufacturing | $106,264 | $51.09 |
| 6 | Retail | $101,815 | $48.95 |
| 7 | Agriculture | $96,599 | $46.44 |
High paying business leader jobs
Business leader salary trends
The average business leader salary has risen by $7,416 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average business leader earned $83,014 annually, but today, they earn $90,430 a year. That works out to a 4% change in pay for business leaders over the last decade.
Compare business leader salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average business leader salary over time
Compare business leader salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Business leader salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $90,400 | $43.48 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | $87,900 | $42.27 | -0.1% |
| 2023 | $88,100 | $42.34 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | $87,600 | $42.12 | +1.1% |
| 2021 | $86,600 | $41.66 | +1.6% |
Recently added business leader salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeppesen | Business Operations Division Lead | Seattle, WA | 06/30/2025 | $117,300 |
| Slalom | Business Strategy Lead | Boston, MA | 06/29/2025 | $110,000 |
| Slalom | Business Strategy Lead | Hartford, CT | 06/29/2025 | $110,000 |
| People.Ai | Principal Business Transformation Lead, High-Tech Industry | Redwood City, CA | 06/29/2025 | $169,000 |
| Jpmorgan Chase & Co | Business Modeling-Applied AI ML Lead | Plano, TX | 06/28/2025 | $147,250 |
| Boeing | Business Operations Division Lead | Seattle, WA | 06/28/2025 | $117,300 |
| Blackrock | Aladdin Product Engineering, Administrative Business Lead | Day, NY | 06/28/2025 | $110,000 |
| CVS Health | Merchandising Business Acceleration-Lead Director | Woonsocket, RI | 06/27/2025 | $100,000 |
| Fortune Brands Home & Security | Regional Business Leader | San Antonio, TX | 06/27/2025 | $105,000 |
| General Dynamics | Lead, Business Relationship Management | Falls Church, VA | 06/27/2025 | $140,899 |
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