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Business owner salary
Average business owner salary
$50,934
Average Business Owner Salary Insights
The average salary for a business owner is approximately $50,934 per year or about $24 per hour. However, these figures can fluctuate based on various factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and industry sector. For instance, states like California and New York often report higher averages due to their robust economies and cost of living.
Salary by Experience Level
According to recent data, business owners with 1-4 years of experience earn around $40,000, while those with 10+ years can make over $70,000 annually. This substantial difference highlights the value of experience and network development in enhancing salary potential.
Highest Paying States
To maximize your salary as a business owner, consider relocating to states like California, New York, or Texas, where opportunities abound. Each region presents unique market demands and customer bases that can significantly influence your earnings. Understanding these dynamics allows you to strategize effectively for your business.
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Where can a Business Owner earn more?
Business owner salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level business owner | $21,000 | $10.09 |
| Mid-level business owner | $32,400 | $15.58 |
| Senior-level business owner | $58,700 | $28.24 |
Business owner salary estimates from across the web
Average business owner salary by state
The average business owner salary in Washington, New Jersey, and New York are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average business owner salary states are Georgia, Kentucky, and South Carolina.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for business owners
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $120,339 | $57.86 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $92,646 | $44.54 |
| 3 | Wisconsin | $91,688 | $44.08 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $97,770 | $47.00 |
| 5 | Minnesota | $88,999 | $42.79 |
| 6 | New York | $109,284 | $52.54 |
| 7 | Oregon | $92,421 | $44.43 |
| 8 | Colorado | $97,650 | $46.95 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $110,331 | $53.04 |
| 10 | Michigan | $82,706 | $39.76 |
| 11 | South Dakota | $94,551 | $45.46 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $99,694 | $47.93 |
| 13 | California | $102,886 | $49.46 |
| 14 | Delaware | $96,002 | $46.15 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $100,871 | $48.50 |
| 16 | Virginia | $83,950 | $40.36 |
| 17 | Wyoming | $74,104 | $35.63 |
| 18 | Ohio | $77,448 | $37.23 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $86,006 | $41.35 |
| 20 | Nevada | $81,892 | $39.37 |
| 21 | Maryland | $87,549 | $42.09 |
| 22 | Illinois | $82,107 | $39.47 |
| 23 | Montana | $79,535 | $38.24 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $66,190 | $31.82 |
| 25 | Maine | $77,525 | $37.27 |
| 26 | Utah | $71,018 | $34.14 |
| 27 | Massachusetts | $86,852 | $41.76 |
| 28 | Indiana | $67,811 | $32.60 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $58,739 | $28.24 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $61,219 | $29.43 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $75,903 | $36.49 |
| 32 | Arizona | $74,532 | $35.83 |
| 33 | Alaska | $75,597 | $36.34 |
| 34 | Vermont | $67,008 | $32.22 |
| 35 | Kansas | $59,837 | $28.77 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $54,976 | $26.43 |
| 37 | Texas | $60,144 | $28.92 |
| 38 | Idaho | $73,981 | $35.57 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $69,255 | $33.30 |
| 40 | Missouri | $60,703 | $29.18 |
| 41 | Iowa | $68,210 | $32.79 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $55,202 | $26.54 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $48,507 | $23.32 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $53,597 | $25.77 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $46,965 | $22.58 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $50,471 | $24.26 |
| 47 | Alabama | $53,328 | $25.64 |
| 48 | Georgia | $50,596 | $24.32 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $40,281 | $19.37 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $53,573 | $25.76 |
| 51 | Florida | $42,325 | $20.35 |
Highest paying cities for business owners
The highest-paying cities for business owners are Seattle, WA, San Francisco, CA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $121,623 | $58.47 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $118,219 | $56.84 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $109,314 | $52.55 |
| 4 | Denver, CO | $98,067 | $47.15 |
| 5 | Wilmington, DE | $97,010 | $46.64 |
| 6 | Sioux Falls, SD | $93,945 | $45.17 |
| 7 | Philadelphia, PA | $93,032 | $44.73 |
| 8 | Milwaukee, WI | $91,664 | $44.07 |
| 9 | Baltimore, MD | $88,402 | $42.50 |
| 10 | Framingham, MA | $87,006 | $41.83 |
| 11 | Richmond, VA | $83,705 | $40.24 |
| 12 | Chicago, IL | $82,982 | $39.90 |
| 13 | Kalamazoo, MI | $79,963 | $38.44 |
| 14 | Phoenix, AZ | $75,229 | $36.17 |
| 15 | Columbus, OH | $74,487 | $35.81 |
| 16 | Cheyenne, WY | $70,794 | $34.04 |
| 17 | Columbia, MO | $61,331 | $29.49 |
| 18 | San Antonio, TX | $59,711 | $28.71 |
| 19 | Charlotte, NC | $58,322 | $28.04 |
| 20 | Evansville, IN | $58,230 | $28.00 |
Business Owners are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Business owner salary details
A business owner's salary ranges from $27,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $94,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a business owner's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $94,000 | $7,833 | $45 |
| 75th Percentile | $70,000 | $5,833 | $34 |
| Average | $50,934 | $4,245 | $24 |
| 25th Percentile | $36,000 | $3,000 | $17 |
| 10th Percentile | $27,000 | $2,250 | $13 |
Highest paying business owner jobs
The highest paying types of business owners are owner/operator, managing partner, and senior business manager.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Manager/Partner | $85,061 | $7,088 | $40.89 | 279,155 |
| Entrepreneur | $70,849 | $5,904 | $34.06 | 34,711 |
| Co-Owner/Operator | $32,256 | $2,688 | $15.51 | 95,615 |
| Manager/Partner | $95,382 | $7,948 | $45.86 | 355,212 |
| Owner/Operator | $167,288 | $13,941 | $80.43 | 119,599 |
| Managing Partner | $147,401 | $12,283 | $70.87 | 66,916 |
Top companies hiring business owners now:
Which companies pay business owners the most?
Business owner salaries at BD and Sanofi US are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average business owner salary at companies like FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies and Gillette are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BD | $131,207 | $63.08 |
| 2 | Sanofi US | $128,568 | $61.81 |
| 3 | FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies | $126,429 | $60.78 |
| 4 | Gillette | $114,775 | $55.18 |
| 5 | FUJIFILM Medical Systems USA | $111,785 | $53.74 |
| 6 | Arkema | $111,400 | $53.56 |
| 7 | Catholic Relief Services | $107,558 | $51.71 |
| 8 | Mead Johnson & Company LLC | $106,115 | $51.02 |
| 9 | Gilead Sciences | $100,286 | $48.21 |
| 10 | Analog Devices | $97,037 | $46.65 |
| 11 | Newmont | $95,523 | $45.92 |
| 12 | Johnson & Johnson | $95,467 | $45.90 |
| 13 | ABB | $95,377 | $45.85 |
| 14 | Avalara | $92,809 | $44.62 |
| 15 | Moderna | $89,137 | $42.85 |
| 16 | HCSC | $89,087 | $42.83 |
| 17 | USAA | $88,282 | $42.44 |
| 18 | Molson Coors | $87,944 | $42.28 |
| 19 | Allstate | $83,622 | $40.20 |
| 20 | Eaton | $83,493 | $40.14 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Business owner salary trends
The average business owner salary has risen by $4,177 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average business owner earned $46,757 annually, but today, they earn $50,934 a year. That works out to a 4% change in pay for business owners over the last decade.
Compare business owner salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average business owner salary over time
Compare business owner salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Business owner salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $50,900 | $24.49 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | $49,500 | $23.81 | -0.1% |
| 2023 | $49,600 | $23.84 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | $49,300 | $23.72 | +1.1% |
| 2021 | $48,800 | $23.46 | +1.6% |
Recently added business owner salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | Business Process Owner Senior | Charlotte, NC | 06/30/2025 | $93,770 |
| USAA | Business Process Owner Senior | Campus, IL | 06/30/2025 | $93,770 |
| USAA | Business Process Owner Senior (Property) | Phoenix, AZ | 06/27/2025 | $93,770 |
| United Services Automobile Association (USAA | Business Process Owner Lead | Chesapeake, VA | 06/27/2025 | $114,080 |
| United Services Automobile Association (USAA | Business Process Owner Senior | San Antonio, TX | 06/27/2025 | $93,770 |
| TD Bank | Director, Business Capability Owner-Payments | New York, NY | 06/21/2025 | $150,000 |
| Coreweave | Senior Global Business Process Owner, Demand & Capacity Management Systems | Bellevue, WA | 06/18/2025 | $212,000 |
| Avery Dennison Corporation | Business Process Owner-Commercial Stream Lead (OTC) | Liverpool, NY | 06/17/2025 | $63,225 |
| Farmers Insurance In The Pointes | Insurance Sales-Fulfillment As A Business Owner YOU Wont Regret IT | San Diego, CA | 06/10/2025 | $65,000 |
| USAA | Business Process Owner Senior | Colorado Springs, CO | 06/03/2025 | $93,770 |
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