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Job outlook for chief product officers in the United States
Are chief product officer jobs in demand?
Chief product officer job and salary trends over time
Chief product officer jobs over time
Chief product officer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,535 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 2,469 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 2,422 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 2,220 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 2,068 | 0.00% |
Average chief product officer salary over time
Chief product officer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $134,865 | $64.84 | +0.8% |
| 2024 | $133,784 | $64.32 | --2.7% |
| 2023 | $137,512 | $66.11 | +3.5% |
| 2022 | $132,921 | $63.90 | +1.1% |
| 2021 | $131,427 | $63.19 | +3.5% |
Chief product officer jobs by state
Most common states for chief product officers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 434 | 63% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,550 | 37% |
| 3 | Vermont | 623,657 | 229 | 37% |
| 4 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 2,700 | 36% |
| 5 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 376 | 35% |
| 6 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 430 | 32% |
| 7 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 2,592 | 31% |
| 8 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,657 | 30% |
| 9 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 1,235 | 30% |
| 10 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,609 | 29% |
| 11 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 493 | 29% |
| 12 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 209 | 28% |
| 13 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 2,517 | 24% |
| 14 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 2,941 | 23% |
| 15 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 1,636 | 23% |
| 16 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,375 | 23% |
| 17 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 1,313 | 23% |
| 18 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 726 | 23% |
| 19 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 446 | 23% |
| 20 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 695 | 22% |
Most common cities for chief product officers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hastings | 1 | 4% | $89,178 |
| 2 | Pasadena | 2 | 1% | $154,840 |
| 3 | Cambridge | 1 | 1% | $142,682 |
| 4 | Quincy | 1 | 1% | $142,693 |
| 5 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $86,590 |
| 6 | Jacksonville | 1 | 0% | $83,085 |
| 7 | Las Vegas | 1 | 0% | $153,615 |
| 8 | Madison | 1 | 0% | $95,376 |
| 9 | Orlando | 1 | 0% | $81,762 |
| 10 | Tampa | 1 | 0% | $83,066 |
Chief Product Officer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of chief product officer experts
Miami University
Wisconsin School of Business, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Indiana University
Hawaii Pacific University
What's a day at work look like for a Chief Product Officer?
Patrick Lindsay: Sales is a good job out of college. Regardless of the company, the industry, the marketplace or geography, being in the customer interface is not only the best and quickest way to learn about a business but also to learn about business. They are exposed to the impact from and on all stakeholders. They learn about what a value proposition really is and the importance of Trust. They observe and learn the importance of relationships. And they grasp the importance of why over what and how. Finally, sales experience and success is almost universally transferable. Once a grad has a year to three developing competencies, skills and confidence, they can pursue virtually any other product or service in almost any company. They can pursue a next job in sales but also other areas like marketing, customer service, human resources, training, recruiting, et cetera. Employers are not emphasizing industry knowledge or experience like they once did. And many companies, from small local the largest global companies in their industries, insist their new college hires begin in sales (aka account management, business development, client acquisition).
Now, with the proper training (could be a major/minor but doesn't have to be if the graduate has developed a particular skill set) there are many available jobs for graduates that are technology-related. These are "good job" from a compensation and stability perspective. And any position with a global tech firm is a golden ticket.
What technical skills for a Chief Product Officer stand out to employers?
Patrick Lindsay: Most all employers expect full competency in creatively using technology for communications. By that I don't mean mobile devices or social media usgae. I mean a widespread working knowledge of technology tools (apps, software, etc). Employers are seeking those candidates who can convey thoughts, ideas, responses in a multi-faceted way. Basic competency in written correspondence is no longer enough. Employers want to see daily business communication not only contain demonstration of good writing (grammar, syntax, formatting) but also being able to create embedded images, video, and relevant web links to better communicate. And not just for a big fancy client presentation, but consistently in regular communication. Further, they want words supported by data; support words with numerical evidence. As such, advanced excel skills and real experience in data sources and extraction stand out to employers.
Similarly, they expect professional virtual audio-visual communication. It is not enough to just be on the Zoom call. The expectation is to be prepared, to be engaged, to be aware of the audio and video angles and backgrounds. To demonstrate active listening as well as enthusiastic, energetic, even animated talking. Body language and facial expression are even more enhanced in virtual communications.
If there was a positive outcome from being thrust into an academic world that was all virtual, it was the need to learn new technical skills, not only for classwork, but also for social interaction. This will not only be appreciated by employers, but for many, expected.
Sachin Tuli
Director, International Business MajorWisconsin School of Business, University of Wisconsin-Madison
International Business
What's a day at work look like for a Chief Product Officer?
Sachin Tuli: The pandemic accelerated ongoing shifts with work-from-anywhere and use of remote meeting technologies. With mass adoption at all levels, these trends are likely to persist to some degree across fields and industries. There will likely be less travel for a number of years, but concurrently we may see more cross-team and cross-national collaboration and coordination. From an international business perspective, firms do plan to continue their globalization efforts and we know that graduates themselves increasingly seek potential global opportunities and mobility when choosing which organizations to work for.
What skills stand out on Chief Product Officer resumes?
Davide , Ph.D. Bolchini Ph.D.: In my experience, our most successful MS HCI graduates (https://soic.iupui.edu/hcc/graduate/hci/masters/) take the time to put together a compelling online portfolio that showcases their project experience and skill set in action, as applied to specific research opportunities they had with faculty or projects they worked on during their UX internships in the industry. The personal brand of UX junior professional can be greatly enriched when the portfolio includes not only what the student has done, but why and what was the design rationale behind the process and the results, what was the larger context and goal of the project (especially in large collaborative projects), and what was the specific role and contribution of the student. The discussion about the portfolio of a candidate has become a key ingredient of the interview for UX jobs, besides other important activities such as UX design exercises or remote assignments.
What Chief Product Officer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Matthew Lopresti: Captains of industry are often asked about the traits they look for in new hires. Critical thinking is always a must, as well as excellent written and oral communication skills.
These are the core competencies of the discipline of philosophy. Top-notch communication abilities begin with a depth of ability to understand nuanced, complex details, and then turn around and clearly communicate these complex ideas in easily digestible bits of information. It is no coincidence that students who graduate with philosophy degrees repeatedly dominate graduate and law-school entrance exams like the GRE and LSAT; they are often the sharpest thinkers with the quickest minds
