Chief Executives: Career Overview
Determine and formulate policies and provide overall direction of companies or private and public sector organizations within guidelines set up by a board of directors or similar governing body. Plan, direct, or coordinate operational activities at the highest level of management with the help of subordinate executives and staff managers.
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What Do Chief Executives Do?
The core tasks performed by chief executives span:
- Direct or coordinate an organization's financial or budget activities to fund operations, maximize investments, or increase efficiency.
- Confer with board members, organization officials, or staff members to discuss issues, coordinate activities, or resolve problems.
- Prepare budgets for approval, including those for funding or implementation of programs.
- Direct, plan, or implement policies, objectives, or activities of organizations or businesses to ensure continuing operations, to maximize returns on investments, or to increase productivity.
- Prepare or present reports concerning activities, expenses, budgets, government statutes or rulings, or other items affecting businesses or program services.
- Implement corrective action plans to solve organizational or departmental problems.
- Analyze operations to evaluate performance of a company or its staff in meeting objectives or to determine areas of potential cost reduction, program improvement, or policy change.
- Direct or coordinate activities of businesses or departments concerned with production, pricing, sales, or distribution of products.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful chief executives rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Aeronautics Commission Director
- Agency Owner
- Agricultural Services Director
- Arts and Humanities Council Director
- Bank President
- Bureau Chief
- Business Development Executive (BD Executive)
- Business Development Officer (BD Officer)
Job Outlook
The U.S. employs around 385,243 chief executives working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to decline by -2.8% over the projection horizon.
Chief Executives Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $138,534 |
| Hourly median | $66.60 |
| 10th percentile | $100,506 |
| 25th percentile | $119,520 |
| 75th percentile | $157,548 |
| 90th percentile | $176,561 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $231,500 |
| California | $220,600 |
| Pennsylvania | $220,510 |
| New York | $219,320 |
| Michigan | $219,230 |
| Rhode Island | $211,810 |
| Wisconsin | $209,090 |
| Ohio | $208,590 |
| Nebraska | $206,080 |
| Indiana | $205,780 |
| Georgia | $201,750 |
| Colorado | $194,810 |
| Montana | $194,460 |
| Minnesota | $194,160 |
| Delaware | $190,460 |
| West Virginia | $181,930 |
| South Carolina | $181,830 |
| Iowa | $178,530 |
| Tennessee | $173,870 |
| Idaho | $173,070 |
| North Dakota | $171,310 |
| Alaska | $168,680 |
| Vermont | $166,190 |
| Alabama | $164,400 |
| Utah | $163,980 |
| Missouri | $158,930 |
| Kansas | $154,700 |
| Arizona | $150,590 |
| Oklahoma | $148,870 |
| New Mexico | $148,790 |
| Kentucky | $146,630 |
| Wyoming | $140,000 |
| Virgin Islands | $139,160 |
| New Hampshire | $138,910 |
| Mississippi | $125,340 |
| Louisiana | $121,490 |
| Arkansas | $121,220 |
| Maine | $120,160 |
| Guam | $106,500 |
| Puerto Rico | $93,740 |
Where Chief Executives Earn the Most
Compensation for chief executives differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $194,008 | 25.9% | 1.41 |
| Plains States | $175,808 | 12.2% | 1.49 |
| Rocky Mountains | $167,724 | 2.8% | 1.56 |
| Middle Atlantic | $162,078 | 18.1% | 1.22 |
| Great Lakes | $157,187 | 12.0% | 0.71 |
| Southwest | $149,841 | 3.2% | 0.74 |
| Southeast | $129,145 | 17.5% | 0.92 |
| Other U.S. Territories | $97,169 | 1.7% | 2.06 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Chief Executives
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland, OH | OH | $239,130 | 870 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | NC | $236,800 | 60 |
| Wausau, WI | WI | $236,650 | 80 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | MI | $233,640 | 110 |
| Bend, OR | OR | $233,520 | 30 |
| Richmond, VA | VA | $232,850 | 690 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | CT | $232,600 | 70 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | IA | $232,510 | 350 |
Industry Breakdown
Most chief executives work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 39,980 | $208,870 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 18,460 | $194,360 |
| Educational Services | 17,240 | $177,430 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 16,730 | n/a |
| Finance and Insurance | 16,720 | n/a |
| Manufacturing | 11,760 | n/a |
| Wholesale Trade | 11,050 | $217,770 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 9,900 | $167,270 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Content workflow software: Atlassian JIRA (hot technology)
- Enterprise application integration software: Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
- Accounting software: Intuit QuickBooks (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Project management software: Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Document management software: Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for chief executives reflects the following characteristics:
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How to Become Chief Executives
Typical chief executives positions require a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Financial Managers (Primary-Long)
- Treasurers and Controllers (Primary-Short)
- Human Resources Managers (Supplemental)
- Education Administrators, Postsecondary (Primary-Long)
- Social and Community Service Managers (Primary-Short)
- Compliance Managers (Primary-Long)
- Labor Relations Specialists (Supplemental)
- Management Analysts (Primary-Short)
Degree Programs
Students preparing for chief executives often complete programs in:
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
8 programs across 6 majors
- Business Administration & Management
- Business & Commerce
- Finance & Financial Management
- Management Sciences & Methods
- Entrepreneurial Studies
- International Business
Public Administration and Social Service Professions
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 11-1011.00 (Chief Executives).
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