An Executive'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 Executive Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of an Executive'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:
How Do Executive 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 Executives. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
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: $111,932
San Francisco: $110,706
Oakland: $108,373
San Jose, CA$111,932
San Francisco, CA$110,706
Oakland, CA$108,373
New York, NY$102,178
Paramus, NJ$100,936
Queens Village, NY$100,931
Passaic, NJ$100,847
Bergenfield, NJ$100,839
Stamford, CT$100,644
Huntington, NY$100,607
Newark, NJ$99,952
Bridgeport, CT$99,764
Vallejo, CA$99,588
New Brunswick, NJ$99,552
Petaluma, CA$99,499
Middlesex, NJ$99,330
Somerset, NJ$99,268
Santa Cruz, CA$99,153
Boston, MA$98,612
Monterey, CA$98,300
Seattle, WA$98,097
Santa Rosa, CA$98,079
Los Angeles, CA$98,052
Juneau, AK$97,822
Washington, DC$97,724
Orange, CA$97,408
Santa Ana, CA$97,174
Long Beach, CA$97,085
Anaheim, CA$97,067
Anchorage, AK$97,023
Santa Maria, CA$96,757
Everett, WA$96,739
Danbury, CT$96,427
Bremerton, WA$96,304
Tacoma, WA$95,985
New Suffolk, NY$95,983
Sacramento, CA$95,958
Santa Barbara, CA$95,861
Trenton, NJ$95,763
San Diego, CA$95,763
Brockton, MA$95,665
Fairbanks, AK$95,448
Lompoc, CA$95,222
Lowell, MA$95,150
Ventura, CA$95,133
Nashua, NH$95,115
Stockton, CA$95,106
Modesto, CA$94,458
Poughkeepsie, NY$94,263
Olympia, WA$94,095
Kennewick, WA$94,095
New Haven, CT$94,059
Lawrence, MA$93,740
Hartford, CT$93,651
Riverside, CA$93,633
New Bedford, MA$93,544
Richland, WA$93,544
Bakersfield, CA$93,420
San Bernardino, CA$93,385
New Britain, CT$93,376
Atlantic City, NJ$93,376
New London, CT$93,340
Norwich, CT$93,314
Portsmouth, NH$93,296
Boulder, CO$93,108
Portland, OR$92,985
Worcester, MA$92,976
Minneapolis, MN$92,701
Philadelphia, PA$92,577
Honolulu, HI$92,284
Saint Paul, MN$92,242
Vineland, NJ$92,222
Providence, RI$91,965
Chicago, IL$91,707
Bellingham, WA$91,601
Springfield, MA$91,530
Baltimore, MD$91,503
Chico, CA$91,281
Pittsfield, MA$91,042
Manchester, NH$90,873
Spokane, WA$90,483
Denver, CO$90,474
Albany, NY$90,057
Troy, NY$90,021
Nassau, NY$89,926
Schenectady, NY$89,835
Wilmington, DE$89,764
Burlington, VT$89,640
Salem, OR$89,604
Portland, ME$89,329
Yakima, WA$89,240
Rochester, MN$88,965
Reno, NV$88,921
Fresno, CA$88,921
Milwaukee, WI$88,841
Detroit, MI$88,752
Ann Arbor, MI$88,737
Allentown, PA$88,726
Colorado Springs, CO$88,575
Syracuse, NY$88,530
Carson City, NV$88,530
Houston, TX$88,406
Eugene, OR$88,362
Gary, IN$88,255
Springfield, OR$88,184
Bismarck, ND$88,166
Galveston, TX$88,104
Medford, OR$87,971
Fort Collins, CO$87,936
Concord, NH$87,891
Austin, TX$87,865
Mesa, AZ$87,678
Reading, PA$87,670
Phoenix, AZ$87,661
Dallas, TX$87,634
Saint Cloud, MN$87,549
Madison, WI$87,430
Utica, NY$87,190
Rochester, NY$87,048
Des Moines, IA$87,039
Raleigh, NC$87,031
Atlanta, GA$86,897
Battle Creek, MI$86,871
Salt Lake City, UT$86,844
Lancaster, PA$86,711
Harrisburg, PA$86,587
Kansas City, MO$86,498
Champaign, IL$86,480
Kansas City, KS$86,480
Fort Worth, TX$86,471
Columbus, OH$86,456
Boca Raton, FL$86,436
Pittsburgh, PA$86,400
Richmond, VA$86,365
Indianapolis, IN$86,347
Cleveland, OH$86,338
Las Vegas, NV$86,232
Cincinnati, OH$86,232
Petersburg, VA$86,099
Huntsville, AL$85,966
Lansing, MI$85,906
Lebanon, PA$85,895
Pueblo, CO$85,886
Appleton, WI$85,859
Buffalo, NY$85,824
Dayton, OH$85,797
Racine, WI$85,779
Charlotte, NC$85,770
Saint Louis, MO$85,744
York, PA$85,691
Elkhart, IN$85,691
Gastonia, NC$85,674
Billings, MT$85,652
Beaumont, TX$85,628
Lorain, OH$85,611
Benton Harbor, MI$85,593
Toledo, OH$85,575
Binghamton, NY$85,531
Rock Hill, SC$85,522
Rockford, IL$85,478
Springfield, IL$85,442
Elyria, OH$85,433
Fargo, ND$85,433
Flagstaff, AZ$85,371
Fort Lauderdale, FL$85,318
Duluth, MN$85,265
Miami, FL$85,265
Cheyenne, WY$85,202
Grand Forks, ND$85,202
Bangor, ME$85,007
Cedar Rapids, IA$84,910
Durham, NC$84,872
Louisville, KY$84,865
Grand Rapids, MI$84,847
Hialeah, FL$84,839
Casper, WY$84,714
Scranton, PA$84,608
New Orleans, LA$84,581
Virginia Beach, VA$84,572
Akron, OH$84,528
Peoria, IL$84,413
Sarasota, FL$84,395
Nashville, TN$84,333
Omaha, NE$84,333
Green Bay, WI$84,333
Baton Rouge, LA$84,288
Charleston, SC$84,271
Jamestown, NY$84,226
Davenport, IA$84,226
Tucson, AZ$84,182
Saint Petersburg, FL$84,129
Tampa, FL$84,111
Evansville, IN$84,058
Port Arthur, TX$84,058
Bradenton, FL$84,022
Santa Fe, NM$83,862
Orlando, FL$83,703
Clearwater, FL$83,676
Canton, OH$83,490
La Crosse, WI$83,490
Albuquerque, NM$83,436
Newport News, VA$83,428
High Point, NC$83,401
Ogden, UT$83,365
Corpus Christi, TX$83,294
Norfolk, VA$83,241
Laramie, WY$83,241
Rock Island, IL$83,188
Saginaw, MI$83,170
Jacksonville, FL$83,161
Salisbury, NC$83,144
Boise, ID$83,126
Moline, IL$83,081
Fort Myers, FL$83,055
Memphis, TN$83,037
Tulsa, OK$82,993
Waterloo, IA$82,939
Spartanburg, SC$82,851
Lincoln, NE$82,806
Fort Wayne, IN$82,789
Provo, UT$82,780
Cedar Falls, IA$82,673
San Antonio, TX$82,638
Greensboro, NC$82,602
South Bend, IN$82,593
Savannah, GA$82,496
Muskegon, MI$82,460
Birmingham, AL$82,451
Winston Salem, NC$82,408
Lake Charles, LA$82,194
Anderson, IN$82,176
Lexington, KY$82,150
Augusta, GA$82,123
Greenville, SC$82,123
Lima, OH$82,052
Wichita, KS$82,043
Tuscaloosa, AL$82,043
Columbia, SC$81,963
Springfield, OH$81,946
Asheville, NC$81,804
Bloomington, IN$81,741
Knoxville, TN$81,422
Shreveport, LA$81,413
Wilmington, NC$81,298
Roanoke, VA$81,298
Topeka, KS$81,138
Frankfort, KY$81,128
Oklahoma City, OK$81,067
Chillicothe, OH$81,032
Longview, TX$81,023
Melbourne, FL$81,014
Sioux Falls, SD$80,872
Mobile, AL$80,863
Terre Haute, IN$80,827
Altoona, PA$80,774
Amarillo, TX$80,712
Killeen, TX$80,685
Fayetteville, AR$80,614
Chattanooga, TN$80,588
Sioux City, IA$80,508
Idaho Falls, ID$80,490
Lynchburg, VA$80,419
Gainesville, FL$80,304
Portsmouth, OH$80,259
Little Rock, AR$80,242
Lafayette, LA$80,206
Youngstown, OH$80,206
Daytona Beach, FL$80,153
Clarksville, TN$80,144
Pensacola, FL$80,135
Temple, TX$80,129
Hopkinsville, KY$79,869
Erie, PA$79,851
Florence, SC$79,816
Charleston, WV$79,674
Great Falls, MT$79,629
Macon, GA$79,505
Tallahassee, FL$79,496
Fayetteville, NC$79,478
Waco, TX$79,461
Helena, MT$79,399
Pine Bluff, AR$79,365
Vincennes, IN$79,257
Lubbock, TX$79,221
Alamogordo, NM$79,168
Twin Falls, ID$79,088
Rapid City, SD$79,061
Jackson, MS$78,902
Huntington, WV$78,895
Greenville, MS$78,893
Parkersburg, WV$78,802
Montgomery, AL$78,786
Wichita Falls, TX$78,698
Springfield, MO$78,698
Biloxi, MS$78,653
Monroe, LA$78,564
Johnstown, PA$78,502
Sumter, SC$78,467
Columbus, GA$78,458
Pascagoula, MS$78,289
Abilene, TX$78,289
Kingsport, TN$78,059
Albany, GA$78,059
Gulfport, MS$78,032
Alexandria, LA$77,739
Fort Smith, AR$77,517
El Paso, TX$77,278
Las Cruces, NM$76,878
Harlingen, TX$76,653
Pocatello, ID$76,639
Florence, AL$76,523
Brownsville, TX$76,506
Mcallen, TX$76,319
Dothan, AL$76,195
Columbus, MS$75,668
Altus, OK$75,254
Lawton, OK$75,086
Pierre, SD$74,766
What Skills Can Increase an Executive's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Leadership (Mentioned in 6.66% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
Cost Control (Mentioned in 4.08% Job Postings): Managing and analyzing financial data in determining and reducing business expenses to increase revenue and profitability.
Merchandising (Mentioned in 1.32% Job Postings): In the broadest sense, merchandising is any practice which contributes to the sale of products to a retail consumer. At a retail in-store level, merchandising refers to the variety of products available for sale and the display of those products in such a way that it stimulates interest and entices customers to make a purchase. In the profession of merchandising you are either employed by the store in which you work, or by an independent distributor. As a professional merchandiser, in a retail setting, you will not only know your products(I.e. coffee, juice, soda, etc.) but you will gauge other “vendors” like products as you tend to your job. Working with the store and other merchandisers, shelf space is often given or taken as need be in some locations(for some young merchandisers this is known as “war”) In retail commerce, visual display merchandising means merchandise sales using product design, selection, packaging, pricing, and display that stimulates consumers to spend more. This includes disciplines and discounting, physical presentation of products and displays, and the decisions about which products should be presented to which customers at what time.
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 an Executive's salary.
Equipment Operation: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
Commitment: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Managed Services: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
For Executive roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 50% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Biotechnology and Internet
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 25% above the average.
In contrast, Executive positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or Retail & Wholesale typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Executive as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for an Executive
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Biotechnology
$110,929
$53.0
25%
Internet
$106,492
$51.0
20%
Pharmaceuticals
$106,492
$51.0
20%
Energy & Utilities
$104,717
$50.0
18%
Software & Networking
$102,055
$49.0
15%
How Education impacts an Executive's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Executives enter the field with a Associate's Degree 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 Executive with a Associate's Degree is between
$92,424
and $99,704).
Executive Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how an Executive'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.
Salaries for an Executive can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary increased from $84,928 in 2023
to around $84,972 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Executive salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Executive Over Time
$???
$84,928
$85,319
$84,972
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$84,928
2024
$85,319
2025
$84,972
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Executive
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Executive
Here are companies hiring for Executive and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
Find Your Next Executive Job
Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Executive job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.
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FAQ about Executive
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Executive?
The Biotechnology industry offers the highest average compensation for Executive roles,
with salaries approximately 25% 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.
