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Hourly Wage for Chief Administrative Officer Salary in the United States

How much does a Chief Administrative Officer make hourly?

As of August 01, 2026, the average hourly rate for a Chief Administrative Officer in the United States is $150, which translates to an annual salary of about $310,981.

However, the hourly wage can vary significantly based on several factors. Here’s a detailed look at the typical pay range per hour:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $168 per hour
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $133 to $159 per hour
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $118 per hour
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Chief Administrative Officer Salaries

A Chief Administrative Officer's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Chief Administrative Officer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Chief Administrative Officer's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Office Manager (3-5 years): $84,526
  • Office Manager, Senior (5+ years): $97,272
  • Administrative Manager (5+ years): $132,196
  • Administrative Director (5+ years): $162,796
  • Chief Administrative Officer (5+ years): $310,981
Job Role Years of Experience Average Salary
Office Manager3-5 years$84,526
Office Manager, Senior5+ years$97,272
Administrative Manager5+ years$132,196
Administrative Director5+ years$162,796
Chief Administrative Officer5+ years$310,981
View as Graph

How Do Chief Administrative Officers Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Chief Administrative Officers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $344,318.
  • California: $343,012.
  • Massachusetts: $338,441.

Top Paying Cities for Chief Administrative Officer

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $392,240
  • San Francisco: $387,946
  • Oakland: $379,770

What Skills Can Increase a Chief Administrative Officer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 10.85% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Data Management (Mentioned in 2.33% Job Postings): Data Management comprises all disciplines related to managing data as a valuable resource. The concept of data management arose in the 1980s as technology moved from sequential processing (first cards, then tape) to random access storage. Since it was now possible to store a discreet fact and quickly access it using random access disk technology, those suggesting that data management was more important than business process management used arguments such as "a customer's home address is stored in 75 (or some other large number) places in our computer systems." However, during this period, random access processing was not competitively fast, so those suggesting "process management" was more important than "data management" used batch processing time as their primary argument. As software applications evolved into real-time, interactive usage, it became obvious that both management processes were important. If the data was not well defined, the data would be mis-used in applications. If the process wasn't well defined, it was impossible to meet user needs.
  • Expense Management (Mentioned in 1.55% Job Postings): Expense management refers to the systems deployed by a business to process, pay, and audit employee-initiated expenses. These costs include, but are not limited to, expenses incurred for travel and entertainment. Expense management includes the policies and procedures that govern such spending, as well as the technologies and services utilized to process and analyze the data associated with it. Software to manage the expense claim, authorization, audit and repayment processes can be obtained from organizations that provide a licensed software, implementation and support service, or alternatively, from software as a service (SaaS) providers. SaaS providers offer on-demand web-based applications managed by a third party to improve the productivity of expense management.
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 10.85%
Data Management 2.33%
Expense Management 1.55%
See More Skills

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Chief Administrative Officer's salary.

  • Results Orientation: Can increase your salary by up to 22%.
  • Facility Management: Can increase your salary by up to 22%.
  • Sustainability: Can increase your salary by up to 15%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Results Orientation $379,397
22%
Facility Management $379,397
22%
Sustainability $357,628
15%
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Chief Administrative Officer Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise

Chief Administrative Officer salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $348,125. While startup companies pay approximate $294,506.

Chief Administrative Officer Salary by Company Size

Company Size Employees Average Salary
Startup 1~50 $294,506
Growth Stage 51~500 $311,475
Established 501~5000 $336,177
Enterprise 5000+ $348,125

Chief Administrative Officer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Chief Administrative Officer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 45% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Internet and Biotechnology sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 20% above the average. In contrast, Chief Administrative Officer positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or Hospitality & Leisure typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Chief Administrative Officer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Chief Administrative Officer

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Internet$373,177$179.020%
Biotechnology$357,628$172.015%
Financial Services$357,628$172.015%
Healthcare$357,628$172.015%
Pharmaceuticals$342,079$164.010%

How Education impacts an Chief Administrative Officer's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Chief Administrative Officer enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Chief Administrative Officer with a Bachelor's Degree is between $272,292 and $293,651.

Chief Administrative Officer Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Chief Administrative Officer
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.9%
High School 12.3%
Associates 9.3%
Bachelors 40.1%
Masters 31.1%
Doctorate 6.3%
View as Graph

Chief Administrative Officer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Chief Administrative Officer's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on August 01, 2026
$277,194
Average $310,981/year
$331,173
$23,100
Average $25,915/month
$27,598
$5,331
Average $5,980/week
$6,369
$133
Average $150/hour
$159
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $331,173 $27,598 $6,369 $159
Average $310,981 $25,915 $5,980 $150
25th Percentile $277,194 $23,100 $5,331 $133

Most common benefits for Chief Administrative Officer

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Chief Administrative Officer

Here are companies hiring for Chief Administrative Officer and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Chief Administrative Officer

1. What are the responsibilities of Chief Administrative Officer?

Leads operations and plans all aspects of an organization's staff and service functions. Establishes the infrastructure and capacity to provide internal services to the organization. Oversees multiple functions that typically include administrative/office, financial operations, facility maintenance/space planning, security, hospitality services, equipment and supply procurement, vendor management, and others. Develops the capital and operating budgets for each function. Designs processes and policies that support efficient service delivery and meet the organization's changing needs. Sets overall performance goals and standards of service. Utilizes data analytics to measure activity and drive continuous improvement. Requires a bachelor's degree. Typically reports to Chief Executive Officer (CEO). C-Suite level management. Develops functional or business unit strategy for an organization. Executes multiple high impact initiatives to achieve organizational goals. Defines vision, strategy, and focus for a major functional or business unit. Substantial experience with setting key metrics like KPIs or OKRs and shaping plans to meet objectives. Typically requires progressive leadership experience in senior management roles. Has expert level knowledge of the overall departmental function. Demonstrated experience in developing and executing long term business strategies.

2. What are the skills of Chief Administrative Officer

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.)

Data Management: Data Management comprises all disciplines related to managing data as a valuable resource. The concept of data management arose in the 1980s as technology moved from sequential processing (first cards, then tape) to random access storage. Since it was now possible to store a discreet fact and quickly access it using random access disk technology, those suggesting that data management was more important than business process management used arguments such as "a customer's home address is stored in 75 (or some other large number) places in our computer systems." However, during this period, random access processing was not competitively fast, so those suggesting "process management" was more important than "data management" used batch processing time as their primary argument. As software applications evolved into real-time, interactive usage, it became obvious that both management processes were important. If the data was not well defined, the data would be mis-used in applications. If the process wasn't well defined, it was impossible to meet user needs.

3.)

Expense Management: Expense management refers to the systems deployed by a business to process, pay, and audit employee-initiated expenses. These costs include, but are not limited to, expenses incurred for travel and entertainment. Expense management includes the policies and procedures that govern such spending, as well as the technologies and services utilized to process and analyze the data associated with it. Software to manage the expense claim, authorization, audit and repayment processes can be obtained from organizations that provide a licensed software, implementation and support service, or alternatively, from software as a service (SaaS) providers. SaaS providers offer on-demand web-based applications managed by a third party to improve the productivity of expense management.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources. We also provide multiple percentiles of salary information for your reference, click here to know Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial to Getting Pay Equity Right. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.

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