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Chief operating officer salary
Average chief operating officer salary
$136,604
Understanding the COO Salary Landscape
The average Chief Operating Officer salary stands at $136,604 per year. However, this figure can fluctuate significantly depending on various factors, including geographical location, industry, and years of experience. For instance, COOs in states like California and New York often earn higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for skilled executives.
In addition to location, the industry plays a vital role in salary determination. COOs in the technology and healthcare sectors typically command higher compensation compared to those in non-profit organizations. As companies continue to evolve, the demand for effective operational leadership is projected to grow, creating new opportunities for aspiring COOs.
Understanding these dynamics allows current and potential COOs to make informed career decisions. Zippia provides valuable insights into salary trends, enabling you to gauge your earning potential effectively. Explore our comprehensive resources to identify the highest paying states and industries for COOs, ensuring you maximize your career trajectory.
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Where can a Chief Operating Officer earn more?
Chief operating officer salary estimates from across the web
Average chief operating officer salary by state
The highest-paying states for chief operating officers are New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. The lowest average chief operating officer salary states are Wyoming, South Dakota, and Montana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for chief operating officers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $170,805 | $82.12 |
| 2 | New York | $163,488 | $78.60 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $150,774 | $72.49 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $162,206 | $77.98 |
| 5 | Illinois | $141,160 | $67.87 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $151,180 | $72.68 |
| 7 | Virginia | $145,032 | $69.73 |
| 8 | Delaware | $139,163 | $66.91 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $136,414 | $65.58 |
| 10 | Nevada | $132,764 | $63.83 |
| 11 | Texas | $136,826 | $65.78 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $138,436 | $66.56 |
| 13 | Maryland | $140,780 | $67.68 |
| 14 | Michigan | $138,396 | $66.54 |
| 15 | California | $148,076 | $71.19 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $127,600 | $61.35 |
| 17 | Maine | $120,022 | $57.70 |
| 18 | Washington | $128,515 | $61.79 |
| 19 | Arizona | $117,720 | $56.60 |
| 20 | Georgia | $119,472 | $57.44 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $120,165 | $57.77 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $118,433 | $56.94 |
| 23 | Hawaii | $143,746 | $69.11 |
| 24 | Louisiana | $118,328 | $56.89 |
| 25 | Alabama | $117,267 | $56.38 |
| 26 | Ohio | $113,925 | $54.77 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $115,442 | $55.50 |
| 28 | Colorado | $108,930 | $52.37 |
| 29 | Vermont | $103,310 | $49.67 |
| 30 | Oregon | $105,424 | $50.68 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $106,129 | $51.02 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $104,717 | $50.34 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $111,549 | $53.63 |
| 34 | Iowa | $103,067 | $49.55 |
| 35 | Idaho | $94,921 | $45.64 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $95,230 | $45.78 |
| 37 | Missouri | $105,314 | $50.63 |
| 38 | New Hampshire | $101,592 | $48.84 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $92,116 | $44.29 |
| 40 | Florida | $104,718 | $50.35 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $95,599 | $45.96 |
| 42 | Indiana | $91,657 | $44.07 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $87,158 | $41.90 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $89,166 | $42.87 |
| 45 | Alaska | $93,141 | $44.78 |
| 46 | Kansas | $83,143 | $39.97 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $88,615 | $42.60 |
| 48 | Utah | $90,328 | $43.43 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $71,645 | $34.44 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $76,393 | $36.73 |
| 51 | Montana | $83,818 | $40.30 |
Highest paying cities for chief operating officers
The highest-paying cities for chief operating officers are Jersey City, NJ, New York, NY, and Palo Alto, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jersey City, NJ | $188,014 | $90.39 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $175,487 | $84.37 |
| 3 | Palo Alto, CA | $161,799 | $77.79 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $158,536 | $76.22 |
| 5 | Cambridge, MA | $158,086 | $76.00 |
| 6 | Richmond, VA | $150,091 | $72.16 |
| 7 | Chicago, IL | $148,614 | $71.45 |
| 8 | Baltimore, MD | $145,671 | $70.03 |
| 9 | San Antonio, TX | $144,822 | $69.63 |
| 10 | Philadelphia, PA | $142,585 | $68.55 |
| 11 | Las Vegas, NV | $138,674 | $66.67 |
| 12 | Seattle, WA | $132,953 | $63.92 |
| 13 | Atlanta, GA | $120,764 | $58.06 |
| 14 | Charlotte, NC | $119,725 | $57.56 |
| 15 | Minneapolis, MN | $119,592 | $57.50 |
| 16 | Phoenix, AZ | $119,586 | $57.49 |
| 17 | Jacksonville, FL | $110,902 | $53.32 |
| 18 | Denver, CO | $109,430 | $52.61 |
| 19 | Cincinnati, OH | $109,361 | $52.58 |
| 20 | Saint Louis, MO | $108,686 | $52.25 |
Chief Operating Officers are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Chief operating officer salary details
A chief operating officer's salary ranges from $81,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $229,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a chief operating officer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $229,000 | $19,083 | $110 |
| 75th Percentile | $179,000 | $14,917 | $86 |
| Average | $136,604 | $11,384 | $66 |
| 25th Percentile | $103,000 | $8,583 | $50 |
| 10th Percentile | $81,000 | $6,750 | $39 |
Highest paying chief operating officer jobs
The highest paying types of chief operating officers are president/chief executive officer, executive vice president, and president & chief operating officer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division Director | $120,757 | $10,063 | $58.06 | 63,545 |
| Vice President | $158,637 | $13,220 | $76.27 | 119,530 |
| Division Vice President | $158,729 | $13,227 | $76.31 | 68,176 |
| Managing Director | $129,690 | $10,808 | $62.35 | 81,022 |
| Corporate Vice President | $165,788 | $13,816 | $79.71 | 69,051 |
| Director Of Business Operations | $111,945 | $9,329 | $53.82 | 202,032 |
Top companies hiring chief operating officers now:
Which companies pay chief operating officers the most?
Chief operating officer salaries at Baker McKenzie and Meta are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average chief operating officer salary at companies like Neighborhood Health and McKinsey & Company Inc are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baker McKenzie | $213,757 | $102.77 |
| 2 | Meta | $210,812 | $101.35 |
| 3 | Neighborhood Health | $206,359 | $99.21 |
| 4 | McKinsey & Company Inc | $202,268 | $97.24 |
| 5 | Trulia | $196,208 | $94.33 |
| 6 | Mercy Corps | $191,533 | $92.08 |
| 7 | Yum! Brands | $186,309 | $89.57 |
| 8 | Baker Botts | $184,511 | $88.71 |
| 9 | Boston Market | $184,147 | $88.53 |
| 10 | Slidell Memorial Hospital | $182,983 | $87.97 |
| 11 | Appalachian Regional Healthcare | $182,756 | $87.86 |
| 12 | Csb | $180,771 | $86.91 |
| 13 | Riot Games | $179,377 | $86.24 |
| 14 | Citi | $178,900 | $86.01 |
| 15 | AIG | $177,169 | $85.18 |
| 16 | YouNow | $176,622 | $84.91 |
| 17 | Colfax Corporation | $173,362 | $83.35 |
| 18 | Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego | $172,807 | $83.08 |
| 19 | Tourneau | $171,764 | $82.58 |
| 20 | York Hospital | $171,528 | $82.47 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Chief Operating Officer salary by industry
The average chief operating officer salary varies across industries:
- The average chief operating officer salary in the manufacturing industry is $150,784, the highest of any industry.
- The average chief operating officer salary in the finance industry is $146,289.
- Chief operating officers in the health care industry earn an average salary of $125,309, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for chief operating officers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | $150,784 | $72.49 |
| 2 | Hospitality | $146,289 | $70.33 |
| 3 | Technology | $145,760 | $70.08 |
| 4 | Retail | $145,495 | $69.95 |
| 5 | Finance | $127,697 | $61.39 |
| 6 | Professional | $127,482 | $61.29 |
| 7 | Health Care | $125,309 | $60.24 |
High paying chief operating officer jobs
Chief operating officer salary trends
The average chief operating officer salary has risen by $13,987 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average chief operating officer earned $122,617 annually, but today, they earn $136,604 a year. That works out to a 3% change in pay for chief operating officers over the last decade.
Compare chief operating officer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average chief operating officer salary over time
Compare chief operating officer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Chief operating officer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $137,000 | $65.67 | +0.8% |
| 2024 | $136,000 | $65.15 | -2.8% |
| 2023 | $139,000 | $66.96 | +3.3% |
| 2022 | $135,000 | $64.73 | +1.1% |
| 2021 | $133,000 | $64.00 | +3.4% |
Recently added chief operating officer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaplan | Nursing Instructor-Coos BAY, or (On-Site) | Coos Bay, OR | 06/30/2025 | $83,480 |
| State of Oregon | Deputy Chief Operating Officer for Operations (Business Operations Administrator 1) | Salem, OR | 06/30/2025 | $112,440 |
| Kipp Dc | Chief Operations Officer (Apply To On-Ramps Website) | Charlotte, NC | 06/29/2025 | $145,000 |
| Dutch Bros Coffee | Broista-Coos | Glide, OR | 06/28/2025 | $34,853 |
| YWCA South Hampton Roads | Chief Impact & Operations Officer | Norfolk, VA | 06/28/2025 | $110,000 |
| SMHA | Chief Operating Officer (COO) | Canton, OH | 06/28/2025 | $150,000 |
| State of Arizona | Emergency Services Program COO | Phoenix, AZ | 06/27/2025 | $40,634 |
| Coldwater Landscapes | Landscaping Chief Operating Officer | Muscle Shoals, AL | 06/27/2025 | $100,000 |
| Prime Healthcare Services | Chief Operating Officer | Chicago, IL | 06/27/2025 | $180,000 |
| Viemed Healthcare Staffing | Temp-Dietitian-Hospital (Days) Coos | Coos Bay, OR | 06/27/2025 | $111,863 |
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