Salary AI Book a Demo

Small Business Owner Salary in the United States

How much does a Small Business Owner make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Small Business Owner in the United States is $63,227 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $30.

However, a Small Business Owner's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $80,282
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $53,153 to $72,154
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $43,980
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Small Business Owner Salaries

A Small Business Owner'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 Small Business Owner Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Small Business Owner'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:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $63,998
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $71,381
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $63,927
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $76,295
  • Expert (over 8 years): $98,569
Levels Salary
Machinist... Level Small Business Owner$63,998
Machinist... Level Small Business Owner$71,381
Small Bus... Level Small Business Owner$63,927
Machine S... Level Small Business Owner$76,295
Machine S... Level Small Business Owner$98,569
View as Graph

How Do Small Business Owner 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 Small Business Owners. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $70,005.
  • California: $69,739.
  • Massachusetts: $68,810.

Top Paying Cities for Small Business Owners

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: $79,748
  • San Francisco: $78,875
  • Oakland: $77,213

What Skills Can Increase a Small Business Owner's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Coordination (Mentioned in 4.39% Job Postings): Ability to plan, execute, and adjust job duties to achieve business goals.
  • Quality Checks (Mentioned in 3.48% Job Postings): Quality Check is the intensive review in the quality matters to test, inspect, or ask questions in order to find out the highest level of accuracy possible.
  • RPA (Mentioned in 1.72% Job Postings): Robotic process automation (RPA) is a software technology that makes it easy to build, deploy, and manage software robots that emulate humans actions interacting with digital systems and software.
Skills Demand Percentage
Coordination 4.39%
Quality Checks 3.48%
RPA 1.72%
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 Small Business Owner's salary.

  • HVAC: Can increase your salary by up to 26%.
  • Container: Can increase your salary by up to 23%.
  • Standard Operating Procedures: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
HVAC $79,666
26%
Container $77,769
23%
Standard Operating Procedures $70,814
12%
Get Latest Data

Small Business Owner Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Small Business Owner roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 60% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Aerospace & Defense and Biotechnology sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average. In contrast, Small Business Owner positions in Retail & Wholesale or Transportation typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Small Business Owner as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for a Small Business Owner

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Aerospace & Defense$82,195$40.030%

How Education impacts a Small Business Owner's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Small Business Owners enter the field with a No Diploma degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Small Business Owner with a No Diploma is between $58,003 and $65,156).

Small Business Owner Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Small Business Owner
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 3.6%
High School 58.9%
Associates 17.9%
Bachelors 19.6%
Masters 0.0%
Doctorate 0.0%
View as Graph

Small Business Owner Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Small Business Owner'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 September 01, 2026
$53,153
Average $63,227/year
$72,154
$4,429
Average $5,269/month
$6,013
$1,022
Average $1,216/week
$1,388
$26
Average $30/hour
$35
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $72,154 $6,013 $1,388 $35
Average $63,227 $5,269 $1,216 $30
25th Percentile $53,153 $4,429 $1,022 $26

Most common benefits for Small Business Owner

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

Common company salaries for Small Business Owner

Here are companies hiring for Small Business Owner and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Small Business Owner Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Small Business Owner job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

For Employees

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Get a Salary Increase

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

Search Job Openings

For Employers

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Adjust Employee Salary

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Price My Industry Jobs

FAQ about Small Business Owner

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Small Business Owner?

The Aerospace & Defense industry offers the highest average compensation for Small Business Owner roles, with salaries approximately 30% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst