Chief Executives
Chief Executives earn an average annual salary of $294,898, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only. The field combines competitive compensation with strong employment opportunities, making it an attractive career path.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Chief Executives workforce.
Employment Over Time
36,980 Workforce in 2023
The Chief Executives workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Chief Executives.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$294,898 Average Wage
In 2023, Chief Executives earned an average of $294,898.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Chief Executives.
Salary distribution for Chief Executives.
Employment Growth Projections
0.4% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
147,878 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 2.2%
151,127 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 4.4%
This occupation is projected to grow at 0.4% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Chief Executives.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Chief Executives and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Chief Executives employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Chief Executives.
Wage Trends by Industry
46.6% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Chief Executives.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Chief Executives.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 33,910 employees, $298,804 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Chief Executives.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 9,080 employees, $310,194 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 3,710 employees, $188,226 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 3,340 employees, $292,468 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 3,330 employees, $344,337 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 3,260 employees, $287,045 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 2,600 employees, $305,683 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 2,430 employees, $517,093 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 2,070 employees, $239,887 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 720 employees, $220,993 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 510 employees, $310,472 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Chief Executives.
Diversity
Demographic information on Chief Executives in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Chief Executives in 2023 was 36,980 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Chief Executives.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Chief Executives.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Chief Executives.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Chief Executives in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Chief Executives.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Chief Executives workers.
Education level distribution for Chief Executives.
Skills
Chief Executives need many skills, but most especially Judgment and Decision Making, Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Management of Financial Resources, Coordination.
Required skills for Chief Executives.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Chief Executives.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Chief Executives include Administration and Management, Personnel and Human Resources, English Language, Customer and Personal Service, Economics and Accounting.
Knowledge areas required for Chief Executives.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Chief Executives include Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression, Written Comprehension, Speech Clarity, Written Expression.
Required abilities for Chief Executives.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Chief Executives.
Daily Activities
Chief Executives spend their time on activities such as Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates, Coaching and Developing Others.
Most important work activities for Chief Executives.
About
Chief Executives
The average yearly wage for Chief Executives was $294,898 in 2023.
SOC Code
11-1011 - Chief Executives
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Chief Executives reports an average salary of $294,898, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 36,980 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 0.4%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.