How to hire a chief executive officer

How to hire a chief executive officer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step chief executive officer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a chief executive officer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new chief executive officer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a chief executive officer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The chief executive officer hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

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   Hiring the perfect chief executive officer also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of chief executive officers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Chief Executive Officer	Description	Hourly rate
   Chief Executive Officer	Top executives devise strategies and policies to ensure that an organization meets its goals. They plan, direct, and coordinate operational activities of companies and organizations.	$50-170
   Vice President & General Manager	A vice president and general manager's role is to implement policies and regulations while overseeing the business operations. Typically, it is their primary responsibility to devise training programs that would produce more efficient workforce members, create new strategies to boost sales and customer satisfaction, and participate in budget and goals creation... Show more	$51-131
   Vice President	Vice presidents are usually considered the second-in-command in the organization, depending on the organization structure. They take over when the president is unavailable to fulfill duties... Show more	$51-112

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Healthcare
   • Patients
   • Patient Care
   • Customer Service
   • Financial Management
   • Oversight
   • Business Development
   • Human Resources
   • Strategic Plan
   • R
   • Regulatory Compliance
   • Strategic Partnerships
   • Product Development
   • Business Plan

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage the bidding process by reviewing all RFP and preparing responses.
   • Manage complex Google, Facebook, SEO/Content, drip email, behavior base emails, and so much more.
   • Manage and grow Instagram accounts of large and small businesses as well as individual accounts such as models and singers.
   • Design, execute, and manage the construction and d cor of store location and seasonal windows of old store location.
   • Develop an IP within the e-Gaming & mobile-gaming world that can achieve ad revenue greater than Google or Facebook potentially combine.
   • Source and manage contractors for frontend JavaScript development.

   More chief executive officer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the chief executive officer job description is a good way to get more applicants. A chief executive officer salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a chief executive officer in Maine may be lower than in Hawaii, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level chief executive officer. Additionally, a chief executive officer with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average chief executive officer salary

   $192,260yearly

   $92.43 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level chief executive officer salary

   $104,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 27, 2025

   Average chief executive officer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Hawaii	$247,076	$119
   2	District of Columbia	$214,895	$103
   3	Nevada	$214,262	$103
   4	New York	$202,367	$97
   5	Connecticut	$198,915	$96
   6	California	$195,438	$94
   7	Texas	$190,853	$92
   8	Virginia	$183,858	$88
   9	Illinois	$181,007	$87
   10	Pennsylvania	$174,708	$84
   11	Massachusetts	$174,455	$84
   12	Washington	$174,163	$84
   13	Georgia	$171,188	$82
   14	Nebraska	$164,765	$79
   15	Colorado	$155,810	$75
   16	North Carolina	$154,429	$74
   17	Ohio	$152,224	$73
   18	Florida	$151,617	$73
   19	Indiana	$150,636	$72
   20	Oregon	$147,652	$71

   Average chief executive officer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Alecto Healthcare Services LLC	$260,813	$125.39
   2	BridgePoint Healthcare	$251,797	$121.06
   3	Architizer	$249,875	$120.13
   4	SoundCloud	$249,094	$119.76
   5	REDCOM Laboratories	$247,039	$118.77
   6	Surgery Partners	$246,858	$118.68	13
   7	ION	$239,174	$114.99	1
   8	UnitedHealth Group	$239,171	$114.99	206
   9	Telefónica Ecuador	$238,087	$114.46
   10	Hazelcast	$237,783	$114.32
   11	DropThought	$236,128	$113.52
   12	Carle Foundation	$234,437	$112.71	41
   13	Mercato	$234,167	$112.58
   14	Atheer	$233,927	$112.46
   15	Proteus International	$233,783	$112.40	1
   16	HTx Services	$232,802	$111.92
   17	Mobile.co	$231,885	$111.48	8
   18	Quorum Health	$231,712	$111.40	5
   19	Community Health Systems	$231,691	$111.39	102
   20	Amour Vert	$231,566	$111.33

4. Writing a chief executive officer job description

   A chief executive officer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a chief executive officer job description:

   Chief executive officer job description example

   The Frazier Rehabilitation Institute CEO provides overall executive leadership and direction in the ongoing operations for this book of business throughout UofL Health which includes inpatient rehab, outpatient rehab, acute care therapy services, and nutrition therapy.
   
   The Frazier Rehab CEO ensures high quality, cost-effective care in keeping with the goals and objectives as defined by the organization. Oversees development and implementation of strategic plan and operating capital budgets; expansion of services, technologies and support systems. Serves as a role model in the pursuit of quality and value, maintaining positive relationships with employees, providers, Advisory Board members, payers, patients and the community at large.
   
   Performs, in general, all duties incident to the office of the CEO of Frazier Rehab and other duties as may be prescribed by leadership.
   Responsibilities • Be recognized as knowledgeable, visible, and accessible, who can integrate into UofL Health.
   • Develop short term and long-term strategies and action plans to ensure high quality patient care.
   • Execute strategies to ensure financial targets are met.
   • Organize and build a team to ensure organizational goals relative to budgets, financial improvement, organizational culture, and cost savings are met.
   • Organize all the internal functions necessary across the continuum of care, appoint leaders, outline key roles, and ensure accountability in meeting facility and system goals as appropriate.
   • Work collaboratively with other executives, physicians and staff, to provide daily leadership guidance and oversight providing a high degree of clinical service line and cross department collaboration.
   • Build and grow volumes and revenue through new or existing clinical programs and service offerings.
   • Reduce the costs of care and find synergies through value-based care. Efficiently use people, processes, and technologies to contain costs.
   • Engage physicians and work effectively with the medical executive leaders and medical officers.
   • Ensure compliance with all applicable regulations. Ensure facilities are ready to be CARF and Joint Commission surveyed and meet all CMS participation requirements.
   • Provide regular reports to the Frazier Advisory Board as necessary regarding progress, and strategies. Qualifications Education: Master's Degree in healthcare, business or related field experience: Experience: At least five years' experience in a leadership position in rehabilitation is preferred. Depth of knowledge and demonstrated expertise in rehabilitation healthcare strategies, financial improvement, quality, safety and patient experience best practices.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find chief executive officers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your chief executive officer job on Zippia to find and recruit chief executive officer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit chief executive officers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new chief executive officer

   Once you have selected a candidate for the chief executive officer position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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