Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
President/chief executive officer salary
Average president/chief executive officer salary
$240,732
Understanding the Role of a President/Chief Executive Officer
President/Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) are crucial in steering a company towards its goals. With an average salary of $240,732 annually, their earnings reflect the significant responsibilities they hold. Salaries can vary based on factors such as the industry, location, and individual experience. For instance, CEOs in the technology sector often earn more due to the high demand for leadership in innovation.
In addition to salary, compensation packages may include bonuses, stock options, and other incentives that can substantially increase overall earnings. The highest paying states for CEOs include California, New York, and Texas, where many large corporations are headquartered.
Job Opportunities and Growth
As organizations continue to evolve, the demand for skilled executives rises. Those considering a career as a CEO should focus on developing leadership, strategic planning, and financial management skills. Networking and gaining experience in various roles can also enhance career prospects. Explore opportunities on job boards like Zippia to find the right position that aligns with your career goals.
Let Zippia find your next president/chief executive officer job
Let Zippia find your next president/chief executive officer job
Where can a President/Chief Executive Officer earn more?
Average president/chief executive officer salary by state
The average president/chief executive officer salary in New Jersey, Alaska, and Washington are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average president/chief executive officer salary states are Tennessee, Indiana, and Oklahoma.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for president/chief executive officers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $201,957 | $97.09 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $216,579 | $104.12 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $201,896 | $97.07 |
| 4 | Washington | $210,254 | $101.08 |
| 5 | Illinois | $198,209 | $95.29 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $197,282 | $94.85 |
| 7 | Texas | $196,076 | $94.27 |
| 8 | Michigan | $201,416 | $96.83 |
| 9 | North Carolina | $194,566 | $93.54 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $198,139 | $95.26 |
| 11 | Arizona | $193,364 | $92.96 |
| 12 | New York | $201,998 | $97.11 |
| 13 | Alaska | $212,379 | $102.11 |
| 14 | Nebraska | $192,615 | $92.60 |
| 15 | New Mexico | $194,157 | $93.34 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $197,200 | $94.81 |
| 17 | District of Columbia | $219,175 | $105.37 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $185,281 | $89.08 |
| 19 | Ohio | $185,386 | $89.13 |
| 20 | Colorado | $191,964 | $92.29 |
| 21 | Alabama | $191,163 | $91.91 |
| 22 | Georgia | $188,203 | $90.48 |
| 23 | Missouri | $188,287 | $90.52 |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $183,914 | $88.42 |
| 25 | California | $196,197 | $94.33 |
| 26 | Delaware | $191,826 | $92.22 |
| 27 | Louisiana | $187,562 | $90.17 |
| 28 | Idaho | $180,430 | $86.75 |
| 29 | Iowa | $185,691 | $89.27 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $183,306 | $88.13 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $179,530 | $86.31 |
| 32 | Virginia | $192,095 | $92.35 |
| 33 | Maryland | $179,670 | $86.38 |
| 34 | Wisconsin | $175,839 | $84.54 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $172,816 | $83.08 |
| 36 | Florida | $185,121 | $89.00 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $175,544 | $84.40 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $165,577 | $79.60 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $177,860 | $85.51 |
| 40 | Montana | $179,249 | $86.18 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $185,749 | $89.30 |
| 42 | Maine | $169,352 | $81.42 |
| 43 | Kansas | $168,101 | $80.82 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $169,270 | $81.38 |
| 45 | Vermont | $152,652 | $73.39 |
| 46 | Utah | $171,377 | $82.39 |
| 47 | Indiana | $163,650 | $78.68 |
| 48 | Oregon | $173,762 | $83.54 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $156,042 | $75.02 |
| 50 | New Hampshire | $148,643 | $71.46 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $141,509 | $68.03 |
Highest paying cities for president/chief executive officers
The highest-paying cities for president/chief executive officers are Washington, DC, Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ, and Seattle, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $352,548 | $169.49 |
| 2 | Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ | $319,839 | $153.77 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $313,818 | $150.87 |
| 4 | Kalamazoo, MI | $285,532 | $137.28 |
| 5 | Chicago, IL | $277,963 | $133.64 |
| 6 | Las Vegas, NV | $273,052 | $131.28 |
| 7 | Ithaca, NY | $270,001 | $129.81 |
| 8 | Garland, TX | $268,337 | $129.01 |
| 9 | Philadelphia, PA | $267,793 | $128.75 |
| 10 | Charlotte, NC | $260,310 | $125.15 |
| 11 | Redwood City, CA | $257,941 | $124.01 |
| 12 | Denver, CO | $256,565 | $123.35 |
| 13 | Lynchburg, VA | $254,732 | $122.47 |
| 14 | Phoenix, AZ | $250,476 | $120.42 |
| 15 | Cambridge, MA | $249,105 | $119.76 |
| 16 | Greenwich, CT | $248,769 | $119.60 |
| 17 | Saint Louis, MO | $246,769 | $118.64 |
| 18 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $244,355 | $117.48 |
| 19 | Jacksonville, FL | $243,472 | $117.05 |
| 20 | Alpharetta, GA | $243,206 | $116.93 |
President/Chief Executive Officers are the most in-demand in these five cities:
President/chief executive officer salary details
A president/chief executive officer's salary ranges from $134,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $429,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a president/chief executive officer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $429,000 | $35,750 | $206 |
| 75th Percentile | $326,000 | $27,167 | $157 |
| Average | $240,732 | $20,061 | $116 |
| 25th Percentile | $177,000 | $14,750 | $85 |
| 10th Percentile | $134,000 | $11,167 | $64 |
Highest paying president/chief executive officer jobs
The highest paying types of president/chief executive officers are executive vice president, president & chief operating officer, and senior vice president.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managing Director | $129,690 | $10,808 | $62.35 | 81,022 |
| Operations Vice President | $163,076 | $13,590 | $78.40 | 147,465 |
| Corporate Vice President | $165,788 | $13,816 | $79.71 | 69,051 |
| Division Vice President | $158,729 | $13,227 | $76.31 | 68,176 |
| Group Vice President | $167,679 | $13,973 | $80.61 | 51,499 |
| Vice President & General Manager | $172,487 | $14,374 | $82.93 | 252,313 |
Top companies hiring president/chief executive officers now:
Which companies pay president/chief executive officers the most?
President/chief executive officer salaries at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate and Estée Lauder are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average president/chief executive officer salary at companies like NaphCare and Robertson's are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate | $278,964 | $134.12 |
| 2 | Estée Lauder | $265,314 | $127.55 |
| 3 | NaphCare | $254,749 | $122.48 |
| 4 | Robertson's | $253,483 | $121.87 |
| 5 | Centene | $247,946 | $119.20 |
| 6 | Avera Health | $246,104 | $118.32 |
| 7 | CORA Services | $245,638 | $118.10 |
| 8 | ThyssenKrupp Elevator Corporation | $245,147 | $117.86 |
| 9 | Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma | $244,580 | $117.59 |
| 10 | Castle Brands | $242,975 | $116.81 |
| 11 | NCAA | $242,730 | $116.70 |
| 12 | Vitasoy Usa Inc. | $241,478 | $116.10 |
| 13 | Trinity Health | $239,900 | $115.34 |
| 14 | Foot Locker | $239,596 | $115.19 |
| 15 | Dev | $238,285 | $114.56 |
| 16 | Slated | $238,004 | $114.42 |
| 17 | Ballad Health | $236,806 | $113.85 |
| 18 | Selux | $233,811 | $112.41 |
| 19 | InterAction | $232,999 | $112.02 |
| 20 | Brain Injury Association of Michigan | $232,999 | $112.02 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
President/Chief Executive Officer salary by industry
The average president/chief executive officer salary varies across industries:
- The average president/chief executive officer salary in the finance industry is $179,795, the highest of any industry.
- The average president/chief executive officer salary in the finance industry is $179,745.
- President/chief executive officers in the retail industry earn an average salary of $168,399, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for president/chief executive officers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $179,795 | $86.44 |
| 2 | Health Care | $179,745 | $86.42 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $179,064 | $86.09 |
| 4 | Internet | $177,429 | $85.30 |
| 5 | Retail | $168,399 | $80.96 |
High paying president/chief executive officer jobs
President/chief executive officer salary trends
The average president/chief executive officer salary has risen by $24,649 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average president/chief executive officer earned $216,083 annually, but today, they earn $240,732 a year. That works out to a 3% change in pay for president/chief executive officers over the last decade.
Compare president/chief executive officer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average president/chief executive officer salary over time
Compare president/chief executive officer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
President/chief executive officer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $241,000 | $115.74 | +0.8% |
| 2024 | $239,000 | $114.81 | -2.8% |
| 2023 | $245,000 | $118.01 | +3.3% |
| 2022 | $237,000 | $114.07 | +1.1% |
| 2021 | $235,000 | $112.79 | +3.4% |
Recently added president/chief executive officer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Department of Education | President & CEO of The Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation (Mccf) | Scottsdale, AZ | 06/27/2025 | $204,500 |
| Points of Light Institu | Vice President, Office of The CEO | Washington, DC | 06/24/2025 | $120,000 |
| United Way of Central New York | Ceo/President | Syracuse, NY | 06/22/2025 | $145,000 |
| Sandler Search | President and CEO | New York, NY | 06/14/2025 | $200,000 |
| Interfaith Works | President/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) | Syracuse, NY | 06/11/2025 | $120,000 |
| MFA | Senior Coordinator, Office of The President & CEO | Washington, DC | 06/10/2025 | $110,000 |
| United Way Worldwide | Scheduler To The President and Chief Executive Officer | Alexandria, VA | 06/10/2025 | $130,000 |
| Lighthouse Youth & Family Services | President & Chief Executive Officer | Cincinnati, OH | 06/05/2025 | $205,000 |
| Hackensack Meridian Health | President, Chief Hospital Executive-Carrier Clinic | Belle Mead, NJ | 06/01/2025 | $276,765 |
| United Services Automobile Asn | AVP, CEO Communications | San Antonio, TX | 06/01/2025 | $195,230 |
President/chief executive officer salary FAQs
Search for president/chief executive officer jobs