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Best states for a chief executive officer
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Job opportunities vary from state to state, and executive management careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to chief executive officer jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for chief executive officers.Our research shows that Nevada is the best state in the country for chief executive officers.
We figured that the best places for chief executive officer 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 Nevada is the best state for chief executive officer jobs, whereas Alaska is the worst.
10 best states for chief executive officers in 2026
1. Nevada
Total chief executive officer jobs: 553 Average annual salary: $182,253 Lowest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $266,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
2. New Jersey
Total chief executive officer jobs: 2,147 Average annual salary: $180,498 Lowest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $265,000 Location Quotient: 1.24
3. Minnesota
Total chief executive officer jobs: 1,888 Average annual salary: $162,546 Lowest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $249,000 Location Quotient: 1.3
4. Connecticut
Total chief executive officer jobs: 843 Average annual salary: $172,877 Lowest 10 percent earn: $115,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $259,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
5. Texas
Total chief executive officer jobs: 4,936 Average annual salary: $166,783 Lowest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $254,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
6. New York
Total chief executive officer jobs: 3,431 Average annual salary: $174,696 Lowest 10 percent earn: $117,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $260,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
7. Illinois
Total chief executive officer jobs: 3,804 Average annual salary: $161,050 Lowest 10 percent earn: $103,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $249,000 Location Quotient: 1.46
8. Virginia
Total chief executive officer jobs: 2,593 Average annual salary: $164,430 Lowest 10 percent earn: $107,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $251,000 Location Quotient: 1.26
9. Massachusetts
Total chief executive officer jobs: 2,945 Average annual salary: $158,545 Lowest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $246,000 Location Quotient: 1.47
10. District of Columbia
Total chief executive officer jobs: 379 Average annual salary: $180,723 Lowest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $265,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
Chief executive officer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a chief executive officer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a chief executive officer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $182,253 | $124,000 | 2,998,039 | 553 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $180,498 | $122,000 | 9,005,644 | 2,147 |
| 3 | Minnesota | $162,546 | $105,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,888 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $172,877 | $115,000 | 3,588,184 | 843 |
| 5 | Texas | $166,783 | $109,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,936 |
| 6 | New York | $174,696 | $117,000 | 19,849,399 | 3,431 |
| 7 | Illinois | $161,050 | $103,000 | 12,802,023 | 3,804 |
| 8 | Virginia | $164,430 | $107,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,593 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $158,545 | $102,000 | 6,859,819 | 2,945 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $180,723 | $122,000 | 693,972 | 379 |
| 11 | Louisiana | $159,627 | $102,000 | 4,684,333 | 683 |
| 12 | Michigan | $159,144 | $102,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,582 |
| 13 | Georgia | $154,288 | $97,000 | 10,429,379 | 2,777 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $159,220 | $102,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,281 |
| 15 | Washington | $160,529 | $105,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,741 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $191,313 | $133,000 | 1,427,538 | 91 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $150,469 | $95,000 | 1,059,639 | 298 |
| 18 | Delaware | $157,008 | $101,000 | 961,939 | 291 |
| 19 | South Carolina | $156,510 | $99,000 | 5,024,369 | 837 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $151,206 | $95,000 | 1,920,076 | 457 |
| 21 | Maryland | $157,500 | $101,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,609 |
| 22 | Colorado | $147,240 | $92,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,660 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $144,192 | $89,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,256 |
| 24 | Arizona | $141,312 | $88,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,735 |
| 25 | California | $171,074 | $114,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,800 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $142,091 | $87,000 | 6,715,984 | 1,135 |
| 27 | Indiana | $141,043 | $86,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,363 |
| 28 | Ohio | $141,718 | $87,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,924 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $140,689 | $86,000 | 1,815,857 | 269 |
| 30 | Kansas | $133,054 | $80,000 | 2,913,123 | 641 |
| 31 | Vermont | $131,468 | $79,000 | 623,657 | 195 |
| 32 | Alabama | $132,080 | $79,000 | 4,874,747 | 889 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $132,226 | $79,000 | 5,795,483 | 1,176 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | $140,421 | $86,000 | 1,342,795 | 328 |
| 35 | Florida | $141,788 | $87,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,464 |
| 36 | Missouri | $128,806 | $77,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,355 |
| 37 | Oregon | $143,235 | $90,000 | 4,142,776 | 581 |
| 38 | Idaho | $113,145 | $67,000 | 1,716,943 | 493 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $130,606 | $79,000 | 2,088,070 | 373 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $127,897 | $76,000 | 4,454,189 | 691 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $117,603 | $70,000 | 755,393 | 220 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $122,579 | $72,000 | 2,984,100 | 435 |
| 43 | Iowa | $121,425 | $71,000 | 3,145,711 | 746 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $117,994 | $69,000 | 3,004,279 | 575 |
| 45 | Maine | $114,004 | $66,000 | 1,335,907 | 303 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $117,703 | $70,000 | 869,666 | 179 |
| 47 | Utah | $116,718 | $69,000 | 3,101,833 | 470 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $105,159 | $60,000 | 3,930,864 | 567 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $98,915 | $57,000 | 579,315 | 77 |
| 50 | Montana | $92,104 | $54,000 | 1,050,493 | 180 |
| 51 | Alaska | $91,625 | $53,000 | 739,795 | 80 |
Highest paying states for chief executive officers
| Rank | State | Avg. Chief Executive Officer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $182,253 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $180,498 |
| 3 | Minnesota | $162,546 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $172,877 |
| 5 | Texas | $166,783 |
| 6 | New York | $174,696 |
| 7 | Illinois | $161,050 |
| 8 | Virginia | $164,430 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $158,545 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $180,723 |
| 11 | Louisiana | $159,627 |
| 12 | Michigan | $159,144 |
| 13 | Georgia | $154,288 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $159,220 |
| 15 | Washington | $160,529 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $191,313 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $150,469 |
| 18 | Delaware | $157,008 |
| 19 | South Carolina | $156,510 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $151,206 |
| 21 | Maryland | $157,500 |
| 22 | Colorado | $147,240 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $144,192 |
| 24 | Arizona | $141,312 |
| 25 | California | $171,074 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $142,091 |
| 27 | Indiana | $141,043 |
| 28 | Ohio | $141,718 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $140,689 |
| 30 | Kansas | $133,054 |
| 31 | Vermont | $131,468 |
| 32 | Alabama | $132,080 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $132,226 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | $140,421 |
| 35 | Florida | $141,788 |
| 36 | Missouri | $128,806 |
| 37 | Oregon | $143,235 |
| 38 | Idaho | $113,145 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $130,606 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $127,897 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $117,603 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $122,579 |
| 43 | Iowa | $121,425 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $117,994 |
| 45 | Maine | $114,004 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $117,703 |
| 47 | Utah | $116,718 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $105,159 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $98,915 |
| 50 | Montana | $92,104 |
| 51 | Alaska | $91,625 |
Chief executive officer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025