$ PaycheckDecoded

Chief Executive Salary

Chief Executives earn a median $213,990 a year nationally. Management Occupations

U.S. median
$213,990
$102.88 per hour
Range
$75,700 – $239,200+
10th to 90th percentile
Employed
204,350
across the U.S.

Chief Executive take-home pay calculator

Starts at the national median. Pick your state to see your real paycheck.

Chief Executive
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$159,231
per year · effective tax rate 25.6%
$13,269Monthly
$6,635Twice a month
$6,124Every 2 weeks
$76.55Hourly
  • Federal income tax$40,092
  • Social Security (6.2%)$11,439
  • Medicare (1.45%)$3,229
  • Texas income tax$0
  • Take-home pay$159,231

Marginal rate: 24% federal + 0.00% state

Pay by experience

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home (no state tax)
10th percentile (entry level)$75,700$36.39$62,085
25th percentile$129,540$62.28$99,807
Median (50th)$213,990$102.88$159,231
75th percentile$356,200+$171.25$250,386
90th percentile (top earners)$507,730+$244.10$345,320

Best cities for chief executives (after tax & cost of living)

#Metro areaMedianTake-homeReal value*Jobs
1Seattle, WA$239,200+$259,032$233,0832,060
2Bridgeport, CT$239,200+$247,855$231,935480
3Charlotte, NC$239,200+$220,744$226,758740
4Dallas, TX$239,200+$227,744$220,9182,580
5Chicago, IL$239,200+$226,413$218,5563,610
6Richmond, VA$239,200+$213,626$218,302820
7Des Moines, IA$239,200+$199,056$217,0701,230
8Portland, OR$239,200+$227,767$216,055690
9Austin, TX$239,200+$207,753$211,850950
10Detroit, MI$239,200+$205,078$204,4682,070
11Houston, TX$239,200+$199,683$202,4591,920
12Virginia Beach, VA$239,200+$197,233$201,379530
13San Antonio, TX$239,200+$187,521$197,983560
14Philadelphia, PA$239,200+$201,659$196,6374,120
15Indianapolis, IN$239,200+$179,799$187,886870
16Atlanta, GA$239,200+$186,336$186,2282,350
17Grand Rapids, MI$239,200+$171,985$180,002540
18New York, NY$239,200+$198,593$176,4287,180
19Baltimore, MD$239,200+$181,599$173,8001,970
20Omaha, NE$228,220$159,379$173,4061,330
21Chattanooga, TN$209,990$156,285$170,870440
22Nashville, TN$218,190$162,299$168,4681,730
23Hartford, CT$239,200+$172,629$168,016470
24Kansas City, MO$221,640$155,084$167,580990
25Lincoln, NE$217,780$152,993$167,057460

*Take-home pay in U.S.-average dollars (BEA Regional Price Parities).

Highest-paying cities

Chief Executive salary by state

StateMedianTake-homeRangeJobs
Oregon $239,200+$209,737 $179,550 – $239,200+910
Washington $239,200+$240,118 $160,110 – $239,200+3,170
Illinois $239,200+$218,889 $133,170 – $239,200+4,620
North Carolina $239,200+$212,098 $114,210 – $239,200+1,930
Virginia $239,200+$204,852 $130,000 – $239,200+4,870
New Jersey $239,200+$204,132 $173,560 – $239,200+2,430
Connecticut $239,200+$196,041 $156,680 – $239,200+1,660
Hawaii $239,200+$182,598 $100,030 – $239,200+470
South Dakota $239,200+$203,211 $175,590 – $239,200+510
New York $239,200+$173,912 $140,410 – $239,200+8,430
Texas $239,200+$188,336 $121,130 – $239,200+8,780
Michigan $239,200+$176,222 $104,010 – $239,200+4,950
Indiana $239,200+$178,457 $97,340 – $239,200+1,820
Maryland $239,200+$169,976 $139,990 – $239,200+3,180
Rhode Island $235,360$163,591 $113,970 – $239,200+460
Pennsylvania $232,560$164,593 $118,810 – $239,200+8,850
California $218,600$143,626 $85,790 – $239,200+34,700
Nebraska $214,680$150,850 $107,200 – $239,200+2,510
Colorado $213,370$150,094 $88,400 – $239,200+—
Iowa $211,190$149,795 $86,090 – $239,200+3,050
Wisconsin $208,350$145,415 $103,560 – $239,200+—
Georgia $208,180$144,770 $57,290 – $239,200+4,080
Delaware $199,990$137,061 $119,990 – $239,200+390
Tennessee $198,830$148,055 $64,520 – $239,200+4,700
Minnesota $195,670$133,172 $92,540 – $239,200+6,740
Montana $182,340$126,954 $73,970 – $239,200+670
Kentucky $179,530$127,809 $72,800 – $239,200+2,070
Idaho $177,210$124,105 $103,360 – $239,200+2,920
Ohio $176,440$127,793 $79,390 – $239,200+4,470
Vermont $175,070$121,408 $108,300 – $239,200+360
Missouri $172,320$121,885 $75,040 – $239,200+2,550
Utah $171,880$121,977 $72,480 – $239,200+3,140
South Carolina $168,840$117,695 $49,760 – $239,200+1,740
New Hampshire $168,590$126,497 $103,990 – $239,200+—
Alaska $166,710$125,212 $75,870 – $239,200+640
Alabama $166,420$116,958 $101,670 – $239,200+810
North Dakota $164,560$121,793 $104,590 – $239,200+380
Oklahoma $163,790$116,391 $68,630 – $239,200+2,390
Kansas $158,100$111,305 $51,120 – $239,200+1,960
West Virginia $151,950$108,735 $72,160 – $239,200+1,700
Nevada $149,770$113,634 $58,670 – $239,200+1,370
Wyoming $147,940$112,383 $34,690 – $239,200+60
Mississippi $139,250$101,605 $101,930 – $239,200+310
Maine $138,770$97,689 $73,680 – $239,200+1,580
New Mexico $123,500$90,958 $43,710 – $239,200+100
Arkansas $119,990$88,776 $49,830 – $239,200+3,550

Frequently asked questions

How much does a chief executive make?

The national median salary for chief executives is $213,990 a year ($102.88 an hour). The lowest-paid 10% earn under $75,700 and the top 10% earn over $239,200+. Source: BLS, May 2025.

Which state pays chief executives the most?

Oregon has the highest median pay at $239,200+. After taxes and local prices, Seattle, WA offers the best real take-home pay of any metro area.

How many chief executives are there in the U.S.?

About 204,350 people work as chief executives nationwide.

All 55 cities