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Executive salary
Average executive salary
$108,285
Understanding Executive Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for executives in the United States stands at $108,285 annually. This figure reflects various factors, including industry, geographical location, and years of experience. In high-demand sectors such as technology and finance, executives can earn significantly more.
For example, executives in California and New York generally report some of the highest salaries, often exceeding $150,000 annually. Experience also plays a crucial role—those with over 10 years in leadership positions frequently command higher salaries compared to entry-level executives.
Executives can explore various opportunities across different industries, with roles such as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and Chief Operating Officer (COO) being among the highest-paid positions. Understanding the salary landscape is essential for informed career planning and maximizing earning potential. This insight can empower job seekers to target their applications effectively and negotiate better compensation packages.
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Where can an Executive earn more?
Executive salary estimates from across the web
Average executive salary by state
The highest-paying states for executives are Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. The lowest average executive salary states are Tennessee, Kansas, and Arkansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for executives
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $149,785 | $72.01 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $138,089 | $66.39 |
| 3 | Washington | $135,630 | $65.21 |
| 4 | New York | $130,434 | $62.71 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $137,061 | $65.89 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $128,987 | $62.01 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $128,443 | $61.75 |
| 8 | Virginia | $126,604 | $60.87 |
| 9 | Nevada | $120,731 | $58.04 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $124,754 | $59.98 |
| 11 | California | $116,836 | $56.17 |
| 12 | Delaware | $114,925 | $55.25 |
| 13 | Michigan | $118,554 | $57.00 |
| 14 | Nebraska | $114,146 | $54.88 |
| 15 | Arizona | $106,484 | $51.19 |
| 16 | Ohio | $108,360 | $52.10 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | $109,792 | $52.78 |
| 18 | Texas | $100,859 | $48.49 |
| 19 | Maryland | $115,265 | $55.42 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $111,216 | $53.47 |
| 21 | Alaska | $114,576 | $55.08 |
| 22 | Illinois | $97,941 | $47.09 |
| 23 | Georgia | $101,449 | $48.77 |
| 24 | Vermont | $101,960 | $49.02 |
| 25 | Oregon | $96,781 | $46.53 |
| 26 | Utah | $96,217 | $46.26 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $105,293 | $50.62 |
| 28 | Maine | $103,215 | $49.62 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $97,904 | $47.07 |
| 30 | Alabama | $100,551 | $48.34 |
| 31 | Iowa | $101,283 | $48.69 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $92,681 | $44.56 |
| 33 | Idaho | $93,904 | $45.15 |
| 34 | Colorado | $93,623 | $45.01 |
| 35 | Minnesota | $93,888 | $45.14 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $98,338 | $47.28 |
| 37 | Montana | $88,745 | $42.67 |
| 38 | Indiana | $95,400 | $45.87 |
| 39 | Florida | $89,628 | $43.09 |
| 40 | West Virginia | $92,075 | $44.27 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $84,922 | $40.83 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $82,024 | $39.43 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $86,314 | $41.50 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $87,464 | $42.05 |
| 45 | Missouri | $82,204 | $39.52 |
| 46 | Kansas | $79,199 | $38.08 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $76,353 | $36.71 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $77,935 | $37.47 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $82,387 | $39.61 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $62,546 | $30.07 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $71,149 | $34.21 |
Highest paying cities for executives
The highest-paying cities for executives are Providence, RI, Hartford, CT, and Boston, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Providence, RI | $153,126 | $73.62 |
| 2 | Hartford, CT | $139,893 | $67.26 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $139,888 | $67.25 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $138,609 | $66.64 |
| 5 | Albany, NY | $135,461 | $65.13 |
| 6 | Springfield, VA | $131,562 | $63.25 |
| 7 | Washington, DC | $130,047 | $62.52 |
| 8 | Carson City, NV | $127,393 | $61.25 |
| 9 | Philadelphia, PA | $126,178 | $60.66 |
| 10 | Davis, CA | $123,461 | $59.36 |
| 11 | Lansing, MI | $118,498 | $56.97 |
| 12 | Annapolis, MD | $115,765 | $55.66 |
| 13 | Dover, DE | $114,796 | $55.19 |
| 14 | Cleveland, OH | $112,347 | $54.01 |
| 15 | Madison, WI | $108,740 | $52.28 |
| 16 | Phoenix, AZ | $107,210 | $51.54 |
| 17 | San Antonio, TX | $102,002 | $49.04 |
| 18 | Atlanta, GA | $101,873 | $48.98 |
| 19 | Des Moines, IA | $100,255 | $48.20 |
| 20 | Baton Rouge, LA | $98,956 | $47.58 |
Executives are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Executive salary details
An executive's salary ranges from $63,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $184,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an executive's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $184,000 | $15,333 | $88 |
| 75th Percentile | $143,000 | $11,917 | $69 |
| Average | $108,285 | $9,024 | $52 |
| 25th Percentile | $81,000 | $6,750 | $39 |
| 10th Percentile | $63,000 | $5,250 | $30 |
Highest paying executive jobs
The highest paying types of executives are president, chief executive officer, and vice president.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managing Administrator | $75,025 | $6,252 | $36.07 | 64,677 |
| Coordinator | $41,599 | $3,467 | $20.00 | 151,508 |
| Co-Owner | $86,704 | $7,225 | $41.68 | 52,915 |
| Owner | $90,334 | $7,528 | $43.43 | 86,486 |
| Vice President | $158,637 | $13,220 | $76.27 | 119,530 |
| Operations Coordinator | $41,934 | $3,495 | $20.16 | 102,598 |
Top companies hiring executives now:
Which companies pay executives the most?
Executive salaries at Capgemini and Accenture are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average executive salary at companies like Stanford Health Care and Earthjustice are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Capgemini | $185,634 | $89.25 |
| 2 | Accenture | $166,251 | $79.93 |
| 3 | Stanford Health Care | $165,466 | $79.55 |
| 4 | Earthjustice | $165,198 | $79.42 |
| 5 | Apple | $164,241 | $78.96 |
| 6 | CVS Health | $153,871 | $73.98 |
| 7 | Sharp HealthCare | $150,977 | $72.59 |
| 8 | Mortenson | $150,763 | $72.48 |
| 9 | ServiceNow | $149,037 | $71.65 |
| 10 | Salesforce | $148,409 | $71.35 |
| 11 | IBM | $147,913 | $71.11 |
| 12 | Clifford Chance | $147,427 | $70.88 |
| 13 | Expedia Group | $146,416 | $70.39 |
| 14 | Applied Materials | $144,714 | $69.57 |
| 15 | W. R. Berkley | $143,859 | $69.16 |
| 16 | Sandia National Labs | $143,724 | $69.10 |
| 17 | Tripadvisor | $142,661 | $68.59 |
| 18 | Unisys | $142,448 | $68.48 |
| 19 | Software AG | $142,390 | $68.46 |
| 20 | $141,973 | $68.26 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Executive salary trends
The average executive salary has risen by $11,088 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average executive earned $97,197 annually, but today, they earn $108,285 a year. That works out to a 3% change in pay for executives over the last decade.
Compare executive salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average executive salary over time
Compare executive salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Executive salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $108,000 | $52.06 | +0.8% |
| 2024 | $107,000 | $51.64 | -2.8% |
| 2023 | $110,000 | $53.08 | +3.3% |
| 2022 | $107,000 | $51.31 | +1.1% |
| 2021 | $106,000 | $50.73 | +3.4% |
Recently added executive salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vizient | Sourcing Executive | Worcester, MA | 06/30/2025 | $77,400 |
| Brex | Executive Sourcer | San Francisco, CA | 06/29/2025 | $126,560 |
| Get It-Executive | Claims Executive | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $75,000 |
| Get It-Executive | Claims Executive-(Hybrid)-Remote | WFH | Arlington, TX | 06/29/2025 | $75,000 |
| State of Illinois | Executive I | Springfield, IL | 06/29/2025 | $71,136 |
| Security Director In San Diego, California | Armed Executive Protection | San Francisco, CA | 06/29/2025 | $135,655 |
| Get It Recruit-Transportation | Claims Executive-Remote | WFH | Knoxville, TN | 06/29/2025 | $66,833 |
| Coalition Inc. | Executive Production Underwriter, SAN Francisco | San Francisco, CA | 06/29/2025 | $170,000 |
| Get It Recruit-Transportation | Claims Executive-Remote | WFH | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $66,892 |
| Mantech International Corporation | Capture Executive | Annapolis, MD | 06/28/2025 | $162,600 |
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