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Best states for a chief executive officer and operator
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to chief executive officer and operator jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. Our research found that Nevada is the best state for chief executive officer and operators, while Nevada and New York are ranked highest in terms of median salary. Nevada has a median salary of $176,573 and Nevada has the highest median salary among all 50 states for chief executive officer and operators.
We figured that the best places for chief executive officer and operator jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.We found that the Midwest is best for chief executive officer and operators, and the Northeast is the worst. New York, NY is the best city in the country for chief executive officer and operator jobs, where as Nevada is the best state in the country.
10 best states for chief executive officer and operators in 2025
1. Nevada
Total chief executive officer and operator jobs: 544 Average annual salary: $176,573 Lowest 10 percent earn: $119,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $260,000 Location Quotient: 1.19
2. New Jersey
Total chief executive officer and operator jobs: 2,659 Average annual salary: $171,791 Lowest 10 percent earn: $115,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $255,000 Location Quotient: 1.53
3. New York
Total chief executive officer and operator jobs: 3,123 Average annual salary: $176,335 Lowest 10 percent earn: $119,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $259,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
4. Massachusetts
Total chief executive officer and operator jobs: 4,100 Average annual salary: $163,273 Lowest 10 percent earn: $107,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $247,000 Location Quotient: 2.04
5. District of Columbia
Total chief executive officer and operator jobs: 478 Average annual salary: $177,555 Lowest 10 percent earn: $120,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $260,000 Location Quotient: 1.3
6. Rhode Island
Total chief executive officer and operator jobs: 431 Average annual salary: $153,014 Lowest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $236,000 Location Quotient: 1.62
7. Connecticut
Total chief executive officer and operator jobs: 800 Average annual salary: $166,520 Lowest 10 percent earn: $110,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $250,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
8. Virginia
Total chief executive officer and operator jobs: 2,564 Average annual salary: $160,216 Lowest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $244,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
9. Texas
Total chief executive officer and operator jobs: 4,823 Average annual salary: $151,490 Lowest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $237,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
10. Arizona
Total chief executive officer and operator jobs: 1,669 Average annual salary: $147,839 Lowest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $232,000 Location Quotient: 1.31
Chief executive officer and operator jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a chief executive officer and operator
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a chief executive officer and operator
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $176,573 | $119,000 | 2,998,039 | 544 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $171,791 | $115,000 | 9,005,644 | 2,659 |
| 3 | New York | $176,335 | $119,000 | 19,849,399 | 3,123 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $163,273 | $107,000 | 6,859,819 | 4,100 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $177,555 | $120,000 | 693,972 | 478 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $153,014 | $98,000 | 1,059,639 | 431 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $166,520 | $110,000 | 3,588,184 | 800 |
| 8 | Virginia | $160,216 | $104,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,564 |
| 9 | Texas | $151,490 | $96,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,823 |
| 10 | Arizona | $147,839 | $93,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,669 |
| 11 | Illinois | $147,993 | $94,000 | 12,802,023 | 3,698 |
| 12 | Hawaii | $171,772 | $111,000 | 1,427,538 | 182 |
| 13 | Delaware | $153,352 | $99,000 | 961,939 | 275 |
| 14 | Washington | $153,131 | $99,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,698 |
| 15 | Michigan | $141,720 | $90,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,521 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $141,686 | $89,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,232 |
| 17 | Vermont | $136,724 | $85,000 | 623,657 | 194 |
| 18 | Georgia | $133,626 | $82,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,727 |
| 19 | Ohio | $138,059 | $86,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,903 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $137,157 | $85,000 | 4,684,333 | 664 |
| 21 | Maryland | $136,687 | $85,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,584 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $140,905 | $88,000 | 1,342,795 | 318 |
| 23 | California | $158,911 | $103,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,611 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $134,521 | $83,000 | 2,088,070 | 365 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $126,702 | $77,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,003 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $117,404 | $73,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,717 |
| 27 | Alaska | $131,178 | $81,000 | 739,795 | 172 |
| 28 | Colorado | $118,183 | $72,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,636 |
| 29 | Oregon | $136,402 | $85,000 | 4,142,776 | 570 |
| 30 | Alabama | $120,848 | $73,000 | 4,874,747 | 878 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $124,705 | $75,000 | 1,815,857 | 269 |
| 32 | Maine | $114,496 | $68,000 | 1,335,907 | 294 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $120,174 | $72,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,118 |
| 34 | Florida | $131,709 | $81,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,304 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $110,923 | $67,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,174 |
| 36 | Idaho | $101,198 | $60,000 | 1,716,943 | 480 |
| 37 | Arkansas | $102,350 | $60,000 | 3,004,279 | 568 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $118,131 | $71,000 | 5,024,369 | 822 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $101,188 | $63,000 | 755,393 | 209 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $105,292 | $64,000 | 1,920,076 | 443 |
| 41 | Indiana | $101,618 | $60,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,350 |
| 42 | Missouri | $100,499 | $60,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,293 |
| 43 | Utah | $106,754 | $63,000 | 3,101,833 | 448 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $99,506 | $58,000 | 4,454,189 | 677 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $99,200 | $58,000 | 3,930,864 | 568 |
| 46 | Iowa | $93,639 | $55,000 | 3,145,711 | 763 |
| 47 | Kansas | $88,749 | $52,000 | 2,913,123 | 630 |
| 48 | Montana | $99,266 | $60,000 | 1,050,493 | 155 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $96,884 | $58,000 | 579,315 | 73 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $93,105 | $56,000 | 869,666 | 168 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $81,212 | $46,000 | 2,984,100 | 401 |
Highest paying states for chief executive officer and operators
| Rank | State | Avg. Chief Executive Officer And Operator Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $176,573 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $171,791 |
| 3 | New York | $176,335 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $163,273 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $177,555 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $153,014 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $166,520 |
| 8 | Virginia | $160,216 |
| 9 | Texas | $151,490 |
| 10 | Arizona | $147,839 |
| 11 | Illinois | $147,993 |
| 12 | Hawaii | $171,772 |
| 13 | Delaware | $153,352 |
| 14 | Washington | $153,131 |
| 15 | Michigan | $141,720 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $141,686 |
| 17 | Vermont | $136,724 |
| 18 | Georgia | $133,626 |
| 19 | Ohio | $138,059 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $137,157 |
| 21 | Maryland | $136,687 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $140,905 |
| 23 | California | $158,911 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $134,521 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $126,702 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $117,404 |
| 27 | Alaska | $131,178 |
| 28 | Colorado | $118,183 |
| 29 | Oregon | $136,402 |
| 30 | Alabama | $120,848 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $124,705 |
| 32 | Maine | $114,496 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $120,174 |
| 34 | Florida | $131,709 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $110,923 |
| 36 | Idaho | $101,198 |
| 37 | Arkansas | $102,350 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $118,131 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $101,188 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $105,292 |
| 41 | Indiana | $101,618 |
| 42 | Missouri | $100,499 |
| 43 | Utah | $106,754 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $99,506 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $99,200 |
| 46 | Iowa | $93,639 |
| 47 | Kansas | $88,749 |
| 48 | Montana | $99,266 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $96,884 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $93,105 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $81,212 |
Chief executive officer and operator best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025