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Senior leader salary
Average senior leader salary
$114,328
Average Senior Leader Salary
The average salary for a senior leader is estimated at $114,328 per year, or around $55 per hour. This figure can vary significantly based on several factors, including the industry, geographic location, and years of experience. For instance, senior leaders in technology and healthcare typically earn higher salaries compared to those in nonprofit sectors.
Where Can a Senior Leader Earn More?
States like California, New York, and Texas offer the highest salaries for senior leaders, reflecting the demand for skilled professionals in these regions. Additionally, factors such as company size and specific industry sectors can influence pay rates.
Highest Paying Industries
Industries such as finance, technology, and healthcare often provide lucrative salary packages for senior leaders, with opportunities for bonuses and profit-sharing. As a senior leader, staying informed about market trends and salary benchmarks can empower you to negotiate better compensation.
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Where can a Senior Leader earn more?
Senior leader salary estimates from across the web
Average senior leader salary by state
The highest-paying states for senior leaders are California, Washington, and Alaska. The lowest average senior leader salary states are Alabama, Florida, and Kansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for senior leaders
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $124,375 | $59.80 |
| 2 | Alaska | $118,943 | $57.18 |
| 3 | California | $126,406 | $60.77 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $113,188 | $54.42 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $106,329 | $51.12 |
| 6 | New York | $117,589 | $56.53 |
| 7 | Idaho | $114,161 | $54.89 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $115,306 | $55.44 |
| 9 | Nevada | $110,215 | $52.99 |
| 10 | Arizona | $110,000 | $52.88 |
| 11 | South Dakota | $101,550 | $48.82 |
| 12 | New Mexico | $101,771 | $48.93 |
| 13 | Virginia | $104,783 | $50.38 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $108,531 | $52.18 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $98,098 | $47.16 |
| 16 | Oregon | $103,226 | $49.63 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $102,912 | $49.48 |
| 18 | Maryland | $105,067 | $50.51 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $102,730 | $49.39 |
| 20 | Montana | $96,839 | $46.56 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $102,984 | $49.51 |
| 22 | Delaware | $102,165 | $49.12 |
| 23 | Texas | $98,255 | $47.24 |
| 24 | Nebraska | $95,256 | $45.80 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $98,425 | $47.32 |
| 26 | Ohio | $99,210 | $47.70 |
| 27 | Illinois | $100,395 | $48.27 |
| 28 | Connecticut | $103,142 | $49.59 |
| 29 | Vermont | $100,427 | $48.28 |
| 30 | Utah | $95,222 | $45.78 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $98,907 | $47.55 |
| 32 | Maine | $100,315 | $48.23 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $97,974 | $47.10 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $98,346 | $47.28 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $95,611 | $45.97 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | $95,012 | $45.68 |
| 37 | Georgia | $92,220 | $44.34 |
| 38 | Colorado | $93,079 | $44.75 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $90,955 | $43.73 |
| 40 | Michigan | $91,441 | $43.96 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $90,223 | $43.38 |
| 42 | Missouri | $90,530 | $43.52 |
| 43 | Iowa | $88,532 | $42.56 |
| 44 | Indiana | $87,504 | $42.07 |
| 45 | Alabama | $86,866 | $41.76 |
| 46 | Florida | $85,164 | $40.94 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $87,546 | $42.09 |
| 48 | Kansas | $82,317 | $39.58 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $80,731 | $38.81 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $80,934 | $38.91 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $79,491 | $38.22 |
Highest paying cities for senior leaders
The highest-paying cities for senior leaders are San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $136,131 | $65.45 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $125,589 | $60.38 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $117,728 | $56.60 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $115,385 | $55.47 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $113,255 | $54.45 |
| 6 | Phoenix, AZ | $110,237 | $53.00 |
| 7 | Jersey City, NJ | $108,662 | $52.24 |
| 8 | Arlington, VA | $105,952 | $50.94 |
| 9 | Philadelphia, PA | $103,312 | $49.67 |
| 10 | Hartford, CT | $103,278 | $49.65 |
| 11 | Hillsboro, OR | $103,016 | $49.53 |
| 12 | Minneapolis, MN | $102,701 | $49.38 |
| 13 | Chicago, IL | $100,779 | $48.45 |
| 14 | San Antonio, TX | $100,558 | $48.35 |
| 15 | Raleigh, NC | $99,593 | $47.88 |
| 16 | Columbus, OH | $98,996 | $47.59 |
| 17 | Alpharetta, GA | $93,431 | $44.92 |
| 18 | Denver, CO | $93,045 | $44.73 |
| 19 | Saint Louis, MO | $92,086 | $44.27 |
| 20 | Warren, MI | $91,557 | $44.02 |
Senior leader salary details
A senior leader's salary ranges from $80,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $162,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a senior leader's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $162,000 | $13,500 | $78 |
| 75th Percentile | $137,000 | $11,417 | $66 |
| Average | $114,328 | $9,527 | $55 |
| 25th Percentile | $94,000 | $7,833 | $45 |
| 10th Percentile | $80,000 | $6,667 | $38 |
Highest paying senior leader jobs
The highest paying types of senior leaders are senior/lead developer, senior systems software engineer, and senior software engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Assurance Team Leader | $97,476 | $8,123 | $46.86 | 131,886 |
| Project Manager & Leader | $102,092 | $8,508 | $49.08 | 190,600 |
| Project Leader | $98,559 | $8,213 | $47.38 | 221,165 |
| Process Leader | $88,400 | $7,367 | $42.50 | 71,467 |
| Leader | $86,964 | $7,247 | $41.81 | 172,293 |
| Team Leader | $68,817 | $5,735 | $33.09 | 197,336 |
Top companies hiring senior leaders now:
Which companies pay senior leaders the most?
Senior leader salaries at Airbnb and Google are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior leader salary at companies like Current TV and McKinsey & Company Inc are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Airbnb | $196,508 | $94.47 |
| 2 | $182,621 | $87.80 | |
| 3 | Current TV | $177,152 | $85.17 |
| 4 | McKinsey & Company Inc | $175,408 | $84.33 |
| 5 | eBay | $175,107 | $84.19 |
| 6 | Apple | $170,005 | $81.73 |
| 7 | Cheniere Energy | $165,894 | $79.76 |
| 8 | Xandr | $164,514 | $79.09 |
| 9 | $163,198 | $78.46 | |
| 10 | ZS | $162,719 | $78.23 |
| 11 | Microsoft | $162,368 | $78.06 |
| 12 | Databricks | $161,328 | $77.56 |
| 13 | Square | $160,627 | $77.22 |
| 14 | PAX Labs | $160,565 | $77.19 |
| 15 | Amazon | $158,692 | $76.29 |
| 16 | Trulia | $156,119 | $75.06 |
| 17 | DocuSign | $155,400 | $74.71 |
| 18 | Foundation Medicine | $155,375 | $74.70 |
| 19 | Rivian | $155,255 | $74.64 |
| 20 | Nutanix | $155,139 | $74.59 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Senior Leader salary by industry
The average senior leader salary varies across industries:
- The average senior leader salary in the finance industry is $123,451, the highest of any industry.
- The average senior leader salary in the finance industry is $117,160.
- Senior leaders in the professional industry earn an average salary of $112,124, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for senior leaders
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $123,451 | $59.35 |
| 2 | Health Care | $117,160 | $56.33 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $116,208 | $55.87 |
| 4 | Technology | $115,639 | $55.60 |
| 5 | Professional | $112,124 | $53.91 |
High paying senior leader jobs
Senior leader salary trends
The average senior leader salary has risen by $18,410 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior leader earned $95,918 annually, but today, they earn $114,328 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for senior leaders over the last decade.
Compare senior leader salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average senior leader salary over time
Compare senior leader salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Senior leader salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $114,000 | $54.97 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $111,000 | $53.15 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $108,000 | $51.95 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | $107,000 | $51.68 | +1.2% |
| 2021 | $106,000 | $51.06 | +1.6% |
Recently added senior leader salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Hills Corporation | Distribution Strategy Engineer-Senior or Lead | Rapid City, SD | 06/30/2025 | $103,150 |
| Black Hills Corporation | Distribution Strategy Engineer-Senior or Lead | Denver, CO | 06/30/2025 | $103,150 |
| Capital One | Senior Lead Data Engineer (Bank Tech) | Wilmington, DE | 06/30/2025 | $204,900 |
| Capital One | Senior Lead Machine Learning Engineer | Plano, TX | 06/30/2025 | $204,900 |
| H.B. Fuller | Senior Category Lead-Capital | Vadnais Heights, MN | 06/30/2025 | $85,000 |
| Genentech | Senior Thought Leader Liaison-Breast Oncology | Chicago, IL | 06/30/2025 | $159,300 |
| Kion Group | Senior Data Leader | Grand Rapids, MI | 06/30/2025 | $100,500 |
| Marsh McLennan Agency-Michigan | Oliver Wyman-Senior Lead Data Engineer | Chicago, IL | 06/30/2025 | $195,000 |
| Marsh McLennan Agency-Michigan | Oliver Wyman-Senior Lead Service Designer | New York, NY | 06/30/2025 | $200,000 |
| Contact Government Services | Senior Ediscovery Analytics Lead | Wyoming | 06/30/2025 | $114,816 |
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