Management
Chief Executives
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.
MAY 2025 · OCCUPATIONAL WAGES
A wage reference for United States.
Published wage percentiles describe a distribution within the source occupation group. They provide context for a career decision; employer packages and job offers have their own terms.
Source wage group: Chief Executives
This wage group may include multiple detailed occupations. The figures are for the source group, which may be broader than Chief Executives. They are not an exact-title, employer, experience or seniority match.
May 2025 · USD · United States. Annual and hourly figures are shown only when the source publishes them; neither is calculated from the other.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage data, distributed through the O*NET® OnLine service.
Median annual wage$213,990USD per year · Published 50th percentile
Median hourly wage$102.88USD per hour · Published 50th percentile
Annual wage thresholds
USD per year
Hourly wage thresholds
USD per hour
| Percentile | Annual wage (USD/year) | Hourly wage (USD/hour) |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $75,700 | $36.39 |
| 25th | $129,540 | $62.28 |
| 50th · Median | $213,990 | $102.88 |
| 75th | $356,200 | $171.25 |
| 90th | $507,730 | $244.10 |
“≥” means at least the published amount; “≤” means at most that amount. These are bounds, not exact values. “Not published” means the source did not provide that figure. Occupational wages follow the source definition and do not establish an employer’s base salary, equity or total compensation.
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THE WORK BEHIND THE TITLE
What this career involves.
Occupation definitions describe common work. Responsibilities and requirements vary by employer and specific job.
Selected title examples
Aeronautics Commission DirectorAgency OwnerAgricultural Services DirectorArts and Humanities Council DirectorBank PresidentBureau ChiefBusiness Development Executive (BD Executive)Business Development Officer (BD Officer)Business Enterprise OfficerBusiness ExecutiveCEO (Chief Executive Officer)Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)
Expand more title examples (48)
Chief Diversity Officer (CDO)Chief Financial Officer (CFO)Chief Information Officer (CIO)Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)Chief Innovation Officer (CINO)Chief Nursing Officer (CNO)Chief Operating Officer (COO)Chief Technical Officer (CTO)Chief Technology Officer (CTO)Chief WardenCommissionerConsumer Affairs DirectorCorporate ExecutiveCorrectional Agency DirectorCounty CommissionerCounty Executive DirectorDeputy District Customs DirectorDeputy Insurance CommissionerDistrict Customs DirectorEmployment Research and Planning DirectorEmployment Services DirectorExecutive DirectorExecutive OfficerExecutive Vice President (EVP)Finance Vice President (Finance VP)Financial Institution PresidentFinancial Responsibility Division DirectorFoundation DirectorGovernment Service ExecutiveHealth CommissionerHighway CommissionerHospital CFO (Hospital Chief Financial Officer)Institution DirectorInsurance CommissionerInternal Revenue CommissionerLabor CommissionerLabor Standards DirectorLaw Enforcement DirectorLicensing and Registration DirectorLiquor CommissionerLiquor Stores and Agencies SupervisorMedia ExecutiveMedical Facilities Section DirectorMusic ExecutiveNonprofit DirectorOperations Vice President (Operations VP)Police CommissionerPresident
Typical tasks
- 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.
Expand more tasks (25)
- 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.
- Direct human resources activities, including the approval of human resource plans or activities, the selection of directors or other high-level staff, or establishment or organization of major departments.
- Appoint department heads or managers and assign or delegate responsibilities to them.
- Interpret and explain policies, rules, regulations, or laws to organizations, government or corporate officials, or individuals.
- Review reports submitted by staff members to recommend approval or to suggest changes.
- Negotiate or approve contracts or agreements with suppliers, distributors, federal or state agencies, or other organizational entities.
- Establish departmental responsibilities and coordinate functions among departments and sites.
- Deliver speeches, write articles, or present information at meetings or conventions to promote services, exchange ideas, or accomplish objectives.
- Serve as liaisons between organizations, shareholders, and outside organizations.
- Coordinate the development or implementation of budgetary control systems, recordkeeping systems, or other administrative control processes.
- Preside over, or serve on, boards of directors, management committees, or other governing boards.
- Attend and participate in meetings of municipal councils or council committees.
- Organize or approve promotional campaigns.
- Nominate citizens to boards or commissions.
- Conduct or direct investigations or hearings to resolve complaints or violations of laws, or testify at such hearings.
- Direct or coordinate activities of businesses involved with buying or selling investment products or financial services.
- Prepare bylaws approved by elected officials, and ensure that bylaws are enforced.
- Make presentations to legislative or other government committees regarding policies, programs, or budgets.
- Review and analyze legislation, laws, or public policy and recommend changes to promote or support interests of the general population or special groups.
- Direct non-merchandising departments, such as advertising, purchasing, credit, or accounting.
- Refer major policy matters to elected representatives for final decisions.
- Direct or conduct studies or research on issues affecting areas of responsibility.
- Administer programs for selection of sites, construction of buildings, or provision of equipment or supplies.
- Represent organizations or promote their objectives at official functions, or delegate representatives to do so.
Skills used in this work
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Management of Financial Resources
- Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Expand more skills (29)
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Management of Material Resources
- Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Operations Analysis
- Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Programming
- Writing computer programs for various purposes.
- Technology Design
- Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
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