All careersBusiness & finance

Chief Executive (CEO)

$213,990
median / year
$75,700 – $507,730
what most earn per year (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

Set an organization's direction, make the top decisions, answer to owners or a board, and own the results.

You may also see this posted as: CEO (Chief Executive Officer), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), President, Chief Diversity Officer (CDO), Chief Information Officer (CIO).

Where you work

Corporate offices and boardrooms

The hours

Long hours, frequent travel, always on

The day to day

What you'd actually spend time doing

  • 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.

Good fit if you like…

Enterprising

leading, persuading, selling, or turning an idea into action

Conventional

organizing information, following systems, and getting details right

Social

helping, teaching, caring for, or supporting other people

O*NET job zone 5 of 5

Extensive preparation—often graduate education and significant experience—is common.

Work styles that matter most

Leadership OrientationDependabilityIntegrityAchievement Orientation

Software that shows up in the work

Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.

Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointAdobe AcrobatAtlassian JIRA

By the numbers

May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$213,990
per year
Hourly median
$102.88
per hour
What most earn
$75,700–$507,730
yearly, 10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~22,200
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+4.3%
About average
Working in the U.S.
204,350
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

BLS estimates 25.9% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.

What it pays in your state

Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.

BLS state wage tables

How you get in

Typical starting education

Bachelor's degree

Training path: Bachelor's, then years climbing.

Related work experience: 5 years or more.

On-the-job training: None.

License or certification

No license required to start in most places.

Check the path where you live

Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.

Find state licensesFind recognized certifications

What it takes

Strategic thinkingLeadershipDecision-makingCommunication

The honest take

The top of the ladder, reached after decades — enormous pay for a few, and the accountability that comes with it.

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Standard Occupational Classification 11-1011. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.