All careersBusiness & finance

Chief Executive (CEO)

$206,420
median pay per year
full range coming in the next data update

What the job actually is

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

Where you work

Corporate offices and boardrooms

The hours

Long hours, frequent travel, always on

By the numbers

May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$206,420
per year
What most earn
range coming soon
Openings a year
~22,200
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+4%
About average
Working in the U.S.
309,400
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.

How you get in

Typical starting education

Bachelor's degree

Training path: Bachelor's, then years climbing.

License or certification

No license required to start in most places.

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.

Standard Occupational Classification 11-1011. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.