How much does a CEO make?

As of February 01, 2025, the average annual salary for a CEO in the United States is $889,500. Salary.com reports that pay typically ranges from $667,600 to $1,136,300, with most professionals earning between $465,572 and $1,360,999.

CEO Salaries by Percentile
Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $1,136,300 $94,692 $21,852 $546
Average $889,500 $74,125 $17,106 $428
25th Percentile $667,600 $55,633 $12,838 $321

Average Salary

25% $667,600 10% $465,572 90% $1,360,999 75% $1,136,300 $889,500 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click
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How much does a CEO make by hour, week, month, and year?

Salary.com provides you with accurate and diversified CEO salary data based on specialized databases to help you get a fairer salary. The average annual pay for a CEO is about $889,500 a year, this translates to an approximate hourly rate of $428, a monthly salary of about $74,125, and a weekly pay of around $17,106 . Click the switch button below to see more details about CEO hourly pay, weekly pay, monthly pay, and so on.

Last Updated on February 01, 2025
Last Updated on February 01, 2025

How Does Experience Level Affect a CEO's Salary?

An entry-level CEO with less than 1 year of experience earns about $746,257. With 1-2 years of experience, the average salary increases to $765,931. For 2-4 years of experience, the pay typically rises to $792,164. Senior-level professionals with 5-8 years of experience earn around $831,513, and those with over 8 years of experience can expect an average of $880,700.

Levels Salary
Entry Level CEO $746,257
Intermediate Level CEO $765,931
Senior Level CEO $792,164
Specialist Level CEO $831,513
Expert Level CEO $880,700
$746,257 0 yr
$765,931 < 2 yrs
$792,164 2-4 yrs
$831,513 5-8 yrs
$880,700 > 8 yrs
Last Updated on February 01, 2025
Entry Level 16%
Mid Level 14%
Senior Level 11%
Top Level 7%
Experienced 1%
View as graph
Last Updated on February 01, 2025

How much does salary of CEO vary from city to city?

Salaries in the United States can vary greatly between cities due to factors like cost of living, local economies, and industry presence.

For example, as of February 01, 2025:
  • In San Francisco, CA, the average yearly salary for a CEO is $1,111,800.
  • In New York, NY, the average annual salary is $1,038,900.
  • In Boston, MA, a CEO earns $997,100 per year.

What is the salary trend of CEO?

As of February 01, 2025, our research reveals a significant shift in CEO compensation over the past six years. For example, the median salary increased from $273,062 in 2023 to approximately $269,796 in 2024. (For a detailed analysis of CEO salary trends, click here.)

Key factors like location, experience, industry demand, and economic growth significantly influence salary variations, making them important to consider.

Average Annual Salary of CEO Over Time

2020
$???
2021
$???
2022
$???
$273,062
2023
$269,796
2024
$263,672
2025
2026
$???
Last Updated on February 01, 2025
2020
$???
2021
$???
2022
$???
2023
$273,062
2024
$269,796
2025
$263,672
2026
$???
Last Updated on February 01, 2025

CEO Salary by Year

Year Average Annual Salary
2020 View More
2021 View More
2022 View More
2023 $273,062
2024 $269,796
2025 $263,672
2026 View More
Last Updated on February 01, 2025

Job Openings of CEO

Salary.com job board provides millions of CEO information for you to search for. Click on search button below to see CEO job openings or enter a new job title here.

Based on HR-reported data: a national average with a geographic differential
Base Salary 52.9%
Bonuses 31.3%
Social Security 1.8%
401k/403b 0.6%
Disability 1.7%
Healthcare 0.5%
Pension 0.8%
Time Off 10.4%
Core Compensation
Core Compensation Median % of Total
Base Salary $889,500 52.9%
Bonus $525,400 31.3%
Value of Benefits
Core Compensation Median % of Total
Social Security $30,969 1.8%
401K/403B $10,500 0.6%
Disability $28,298 1.7%
Healthcare $8,352 0.5%
Pension $13,500 0.8%
Time Off $174,142 10.4%
Total Compensation $1,680,661 100%
Core Compensation is based on averages for this job and does not reflect personal factors used to determine your projected salary range.
Value of Benefits indicates the employer's expected contribution and paid time off.
Last Updated on February 01, 2025

What are the salaries of a CEO with different levels of education?

Salaries for CEO with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate

According to our 100% employer reported salary sources the median salary for a CEO with a No Diploma is $725,122 - $852,193. Please try our salary wizard to explore how other factors like location, Years of experience and number of direct reports can impact your base pay and bonus.

CEO Salaries by Degree Level

Last Updated on February 01, 2025
Typical Education for CEO
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 1.4%
High School 6.8%
Associates 4.6%
Bachelors 36.9%
Masters 40.3%
Doctorate 10.0%
Typical Education for CEO
No Diploma 1.4%
High School 6.8%
Associates 4.6%
Bachelors 36.9%
Masters 40.3%
Doctorate 10.0%
view as table

CEO Salaries by Degree Level

Last Updated on February 01, 2025

What Am I Worth?

FAQ about CEO

1. What is the average salary of a CEO?

The average annual salary of CEO is $889,500. In case you are finding an easy salary calculator, the average hourly pay of CEO is $428; the average weekly pay of CEO is $17,106; the average monthly pay of CEO is $74,125.

2. Where can a CEO earn the most?

A CEO's earning potential can vary widely depending on several factors, including location, industry, experience, education, and the specific employer. According to the latest salary data by Salary.com, a CEO earns the most in San Jose, CA, where the annual salary of a CEO is $1,116,300.

3. What is the highest pay for CEO?

The highest pay for CEO is $1,360,999.

4. What is the lowest pay for CEO?

The lowest pay for CEO is $465,572.

5. What are the responsibilities of CEO?

The CEO organizes leadership and staff to meet strategic goals. Responsible for the short and long-term profitability and growth of the company. Being a CEO identifies and delivers value to stakeholders. Ensures appropriate governance and controls. In addition, CEO may require an advanced degree or its equivalent. Responsible for the development of functional or business unit strategy for the entire organization. Defines corporate vision and strategy establishes company direction and focus. Executes multiple high impact initiatives to achieve overall corporate goals. Working as a CEO typically requires 15+ years of related experience.

6. What are the skills of CEO

Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.

1.)

Leadership: Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.

2.)

Health Care: Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration, or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people.

3.)

Childcare: Child care, otherwise known as day care, is the care and supervision of a child or multiple children at a time. Child care is a broad topic that covers a wide spectrum of professionals, institutions, contexts, activities, and social and cultural conventions.

About Our Data

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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The average salary for a CEO is $889,500 per year in the United States, updated at February 01, 2025.
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