occupation · 11-1011 · detailed
Chief Executives — wages and employment
Chief Executives earned a median annual wage of $206,420 in the United States in May 2024, with 211,850 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Chief Executives earned a median annual wage of $206,420 in the United States in May 2024, with 211,850 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $73,710 or less, the best-paid tenth at least $239,200 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $206,680 to $206,420, -0.1 %. The best-paying state is Hawaii at $231,500; the lowest Puerto Rico at $93,740. Among metropolitan areas, Cleveland, OH pays the highest median, $239,130. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 211,850 | $206,420 | $262,930 | $73,710 | $126,080 | — | ≥ $239,200 | $99.24 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 211,230 | $206,680 | $258,900 | $80,000 | $130,840 | — | ≥ $239,200 | $99.37 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $231,500 | 570 |
| California | $220,600 | 36,980 |
| Pennsylvania | $220,510 | 14,140 |
| New York | $219,320 | 7,830 |
| Michigan | $219,230 | 3,940 |
| Rhode Island | $211,810 | — |
| Wisconsin | $209,090 | 4,440 |
| Ohio | $208,590 | 4,430 |
| Nebraska | $206,080 | 2,790 |
| Indiana | $205,780 | 2,200 |
| Georgia | $201,750 | 5,440 |
| Colorado | $194,810 | — |
| Montana | $194,460 | 630 |
| Minnesota | $194,160 | 6,690 |
| Delaware | $190,460 | 440 |
| West Virginia | $181,930 | 1,390 |
| South Carolina | $181,830 | 2,950 |
| Iowa | $178,530 | 3,520 |
| Tennessee | $173,870 | 5,360 |
| Idaho | $173,070 | — |
| North Dakota | $171,310 | 370 |
| Alaska | $168,680 | 910 |
| Vermont | $166,190 | 530 |
| Alabama | $164,400 | 830 |
| Utah | $163,980 | 3,980 |
| Missouri | $158,930 | 4,050 |
| Kansas | $154,700 | 2,540 |
| Arizona | $150,590 | 3,100 |
| Oklahoma | $148,870 | 2,000 |
| New Mexico | $148,790 | 360 |
| Kentucky | $146,630 | 2,950 |
| Wyoming | $140,000 | 70 |
| Virgin Islands | $139,160 | 120 |
| New Hampshire | $138,910 | 630 |
| Mississippi | $125,340 | 440 |
| Louisiana | $121,490 | 670 |
| Arkansas | $121,220 | 2,270 |
| Maine | $120,160 | 1,470 |
| Guam | $106,500 | 320 |
| Puerto Rico | $93,740 | 2,340 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland, OH | $239,130 | 870 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $236,800 | 60 |
| Wausau, WI | $236,650 | 80 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | $233,640 | 110 |
| Bend, OR | $233,520 | 30 |
| Richmond, VA | $232,850 | 690 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | $232,600 | 70 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $232,510 | 350 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $231,500 | 12,420 |
| Kenosha, WI | $231,200 | 90 |
| Roanoke, VA | $230,320 | 130 |
| Madison, WI | $228,960 | 560 |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $228,640 | 180 |
| Eau Claire, WI | $227,050 | 90 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $226,660 | 510 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $226,440 | 30 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $225,980 | 160 |
| Savannah, GA | $225,950 | 180 |
| Yakima, WA | $225,480 | 70 |
| Lexington Park, MD | $225,000 | 80 |
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