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Chief technology officer salary
Average chief technology officer salary
$172,989
Average Chief Technology Officer Salary
The salary of a Chief Technology Officer can significantly impact overall company performance and innovation. As of October 2025, the average annual salary for a CTO is $172,989, translating to approximately $83 per hour. Factors influencing this salary include the CTO's experience level, the specific industry, and geographical location.
Highest Paying States for CTOs
CTOs in states like California, New York, and Texas often earn higher salaries due to the concentration of tech companies and demand for skilled leaders. For instance, California averages a CTO salary that is notably above the national average, owing to its thriving tech ecosystem.
Opportunities for Growth
CTOs have various opportunities for career advancement, especially in industries like information technology, financial services, and healthcare. The demand for tech leadership continues to grow, making this a promising career path for aspiring professionals.
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Where can a Chief Technology Officer earn more?
Chief technology officer salary estimates from across the web
Average chief technology officer salary by state
The average chief technology officer salary in Hawaii, Washington, and New Jersey are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average chief technology officer salary states are Maine, Kentucky, and Iowa.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for chief technology officers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $182,063 | $87.53 |
| 2 | Washington | $184,022 | $88.47 |
| 3 | Virginia | $168,959 | $81.23 |
| 4 | New York | $172,797 | $83.08 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $166,314 | $79.96 |
| 6 | Nevada | $153,890 | $73.99 |
| 7 | Oregon | $161,597 | $77.69 |
| 8 | Illinois | $153,785 | $73.94 |
| 9 | Michigan | $163,986 | $78.84 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $155,229 | $74.63 |
| 11 | New Mexico | $150,984 | $72.59 |
| 12 | Texas | $154,544 | $74.30 |
| 13 | Alaska | $168,751 | $81.13 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | $166,685 | $80.14 |
| 15 | Hawaii | $190,047 | $91.37 |
| 16 | California | $169,175 | $81.33 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $149,544 | $71.90 |
| 18 | Ohio | $145,087 | $69.75 |
| 19 | Delaware | $162,885 | $78.31 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $139,552 | $67.09 |
| 21 | Maryland | $148,602 | $71.44 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $148,294 | $71.30 |
| 23 | Colorado | $144,520 | $69.48 |
| 24 | Georgia | $138,425 | $66.55 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $133,175 | $64.03 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $137,288 | $66.00 |
| 27 | Vermont | $135,393 | $65.09 |
| 28 | Arizona | $130,798 | $62.88 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $141,190 | $67.88 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $126,304 | $60.72 |
| 31 | Missouri | $136,120 | $65.44 |
| 32 | Alabama | $129,237 | $62.13 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $126,839 | $60.98 |
| 34 | West Virginia | $127,770 | $61.43 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $126,605 | $60.87 |
| 36 | Florida | $137,608 | $66.16 |
| 37 | Idaho | $110,701 | $53.22 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $124,900 | $60.05 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $122,325 | $58.81 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $113,538 | $54.59 |
| 41 | South Dakota | $114,236 | $54.92 |
| 42 | Maine | $110,111 | $52.94 |
| 43 | Indiana | $111,682 | $53.69 |
| 44 | Montana | $119,417 | $57.41 |
| 45 | Utah | $116,556 | $56.04 |
| 46 | Wyoming | $115,864 | $55.70 |
| 47 | Iowa | $105,037 | $50.50 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $86,933 | $41.79 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $108,214 | $52.03 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $101,631 | $48.86 |
| 51 | Kansas | $103,772 | $49.89 |
Highest paying cities for chief technology officers
The highest-paying cities for chief technology officers are Seattle, WA, San Francisco, CA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $207,301 | $99.66 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $185,596 | $89.23 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $181,388 | $87.21 |
| 4 | Reston, VA | $179,919 | $86.50 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $174,976 | $84.12 |
| 6 | Cambridge, MA | $172,616 | $82.99 |
| 7 | Portland, OR | $170,814 | $82.12 |
| 8 | Austin, TX | $163,546 | $78.63 |
| 9 | Chicago, IL | $159,959 | $76.90 |
| 10 | Las Vegas, NV | $159,632 | $76.75 |
| 11 | Philadelphia, PA | $159,366 | $76.62 |
| 12 | Denver, CO | $147,654 | $70.99 |
| 13 | Miami, FL | $142,277 | $68.40 |
| 14 | Minneapolis, MN | $141,381 | $67.97 |
| 15 | Atlanta, GA | $140,967 | $67.77 |
| 16 | Kansas City, MO | $137,193 | $65.96 |
| 17 | Raleigh, NC | $136,019 | $65.39 |
| 18 | Phoenix, AZ | $132,563 | $63.73 |
| 19 | Salt Lake City, UT | $116,224 | $55.88 |
| 20 | Portland, ME | $109,743 | $52.76 |
Chief technology officer salary details
A chief technology officer's salary ranges from $105,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $284,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a chief technology officer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $284,000 | $23,667 | $137 |
| 75th Percentile | $224,000 | $18,667 | $108 |
| Average | $172,989 | $14,416 | $83 |
| 25th Percentile | $133,000 | $11,083 | $64 |
| 10th Percentile | $105,000 | $8,750 | $50 |
Highest paying chief technology officer jobs
The highest paying types of chief technology officers are president/chief executive officer, president & chief operating officer, and chief executive officer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director Of Software Development | $158,853 | $13,238 | $76.37 | 136,310 |
| Director Of Information Management | $135,276 | $11,273 | $65.04 | 134,762 |
| Director, Network Operations | $140,236 | $11,686 | $67.42 | 103,623 |
| Vice President Of Engineering | $150,651 | $12,554 | $72.43 | 92,133 |
| Vice President Of Information Technology | $160,600 | $13,383 | $77.21 | 112,564 |
| Information Technology Technical Services Manager | $114,021 | $9,502 | $54.82 | 209,334 |
Top companies hiring chief technology officers now:
Which companies pay chief technology officers the most?
Chief technology officer salaries at InPhonex and Community Health Systems are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average chief technology officer salary at companies like Rightside and Cruise Automation are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | InPhonex | $254,951 | $122.57 |
| 2 | Community Health Systems | $253,392 | $121.82 |
| 3 | Rightside | $246,755 | $118.63 |
| 4 | Cruise Automation | $244,615 | $117.60 |
| 5 | Zenefits | $243,058 | $116.85 |
| 6 | Allina Health | $236,896 | $113.89 |
| 7 | Birchbox | $233,779 | $112.39 |
| 8 | Palo Alto Networks | $232,654 | $111.85 |
| 9 | Bloomberg | $229,445 | $110.31 |
| 10 | Thomas | $228,539 | $109.87 |
| 11 | Lucid Motors | $225,777 | $108.55 |
| 12 | Bristol-Myers Squibb | $223,154 | $107.29 |
| 13 | Maine Health/maine Mental Health Partners | $223,152 | $107.28 |
| 14 | Coatue Management | $222,969 | $107.20 |
| 15 | Meta | $222,452 | $106.95 |
| 16 | Collective | $222,440 | $106.94 |
| 17 | Rush Street | $222,206 | $106.83 |
| 18 | NewEdge | $222,082 | $106.77 |
| 19 | Walmart | $220,780 | $106.14 |
| 20 | City of New York | $219,366 | $105.46 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Chief Technology Officer salary by industry
The average chief technology officer salary varies across industries:
- The average chief technology officer salary in the telecommunication industry is $183,468, the highest of any industry.
- The average chief technology officer salary in the finance industry is $181,902.
- Chief technology officers in the professional industry earn an average salary of $174,343, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for chief technology officers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Telecommunication | $183,468 | $88.21 |
| 2 | Start-up | $181,902 | $87.45 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $180,564 | $86.81 |
| 4 | Media | $178,916 | $86.02 |
| 5 | Technology | $178,104 | $85.63 |
| 6 | Finance | $176,787 | $84.99 |
| 7 | Professional | $174,343 | $83.82 |
High paying chief technology officer jobs
Chief technology officer salary trends
The average chief technology officer salary has risen by $17,713 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average chief technology officer earned $155,276 annually, but today, they earn $172,989 a year. That works out to a 3% change in pay for chief technology officers over the last decade.
Compare chief technology officer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average chief technology officer salary over time
Compare chief technology officer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Chief technology officer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $173,000 | $83.17 | +0.8% |
| 2024 | $172,000 | $82.50 | -2.8% |
| 2023 | $176,000 | $84.80 | +3.3% |
| 2022 | $170,000 | $81.97 | +1.1% |
| 2021 | $169,000 | $81.05 | +3.4% |
Recently added chief technology officer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grant Thornton LLP | Chief Technology Officer (Senior Director) | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $237,200 |
| Perspecta | Space and Intelligence Chief Technology Officer | Reston, VA | 06/29/2025 | $229,000 |
| HH Medstar Health Inc. | (Rn)Cto Lead Care Manager Utilization | Silver Spring, MD | 06/27/2025 | $87,318 |
| SBM Management | Chief Technology Officer | Sacramento, CA | 06/26/2025 | $250,000 |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | CTO Protocol Writer | Richmond, VA | 06/26/2025 | $59,104 |
| Zymochem | Chief Technology Officer | San Leandro, CA | 06/25/2025 | $200,000 |
| Join Digital | Chief Technology Officer (CTO) | Campbell, CA | 06/25/2025 | $180,000 |
| Medstar Research Institute | CTO Community Health Advocate | Baltimore, MD | 06/25/2025 | $42,095 |
| Qualys, Inc. | Federal Security CTO | Washington, DC | 06/24/2025 | $250,000 |
| The University of Oklahoma Human Resources | *Senior Oncology Research RN-CTO | Oklahoma City, OK | 06/22/2025 | $67,000 |
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