Salary distribution
Where California chief executives fall on the wage curve.
Distribution not available
The Bureau of Labor Statistics suppresses wage percentiles for this occupation and state when the surveyed cell has too few employers to publish without revealing individual firm pay. National figures and adjacent states below remain a useful reference.
Chief Executives in California: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 222 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $237,950. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.
By DOL wage level
DOL classifies every offer into one of four wage levels based on the role's experience and skill requirements.
| Level | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|
| Level I — entry | 71 | $140,000 |
| Level II — qualified | 67 | $241,883 |
| Level III — experienced | 36 | $319,479 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 11 | $422,000 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Chief Executives in California. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| MACHU PICCHU ENERGY LLC | Chief Executive Officer | 4 | $180,000 |
| Intuit Inc. | Director, Corporate Strategy | 3 | $412,000 |
| Lifelink Systems, Inc. | Chief Executive Officer | 3 | $300,000 |
| GOVBERG LLC | EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN | 2 | $600,000 |
| Full Meals Technology Inc. | Chief Executive Officer | 2 | $260,000 |
| Vastek Inc | Executive Director | 2 | $241,894 |
| Long Shine LLC | Vice President | 2 | $165,000 |
| Lime Crime Cosmetics, Inc. | Chief Financial Officer | 2 | $123,448 |
| Owner.com | Chief Revenue Officer | 2 | $422,000 |
| MGA Entertainment Inc. | Vice President Global Inbound Licensing | 2 | $286,724 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Chief Operating Officer at World Wide Wings, Inc$100,131San BernardinoDecided Dec 26, 2025I-200-25352-494114
- Executive Vice President at Bamba Swim Inc.$119,642Los AngelesDecided Dec 26, 2025I-202-25352-493777
- Chief Executive Officer at Banked Inc$180,000SonomaDecided Dec 24, 2025I-203-25351-490240
- Chief Financial Officer at We Start the Company LLC$390,000San FranciscoDecided Dec 19, 2025I-202-25346-477496
- Chief Executive Officer and President at Equinix, Inc.$1,000,000Redwood CityDecided Dec 17, 2025I-203-25344-473717
- FAST Group President at Sendle USA Inc.$288,750Long BeachDecided Dec 16, 2025I-203-25343-467834
- Group CEO at EVO Power USA, Inc.$605,280Rancho Santa MargaritaDecided Dec 16, 2025I-203-25343-468970
- Chief Executive Officer at 101 SUPPLY CHAIN GROUP, INC.$215,000El SegundoDecided Dec 15, 2025I-203-25342-465271
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Disclosed wages reflect what employers attested to pay; actual paid wages may differ. Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.
Chief Executives pay by experience level in California
Each band reflects DOL Wage Levels I-IV mapped onto a four-step ladder. Click a level to see the disclosed-wage range for that segment.
Chief Executives specialties in California
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 147 certified offers. The most common variant is Chief Executive Officer at a median of $216,000.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executive Officer | MACHU PICCHU ENERGY LLC | 73 | $216,000 |
| Chief Operating Officer | Spot AI, Inc. | 17 | $156,000 |
| Chief Technology Officer | Fig Technology Inc. | 14 | $224,109 |
| Vice President | ArchLynk LLC | 12 | $312,479 |
| Chief Financial Officer | We Start the Company LLC | 11 | $250,000 |
| Executive Director | Vastek Inc | 7 | $202,738 |
| President | XiltriX North America, LLC | 6 | $250,000 |
| Chief Revenue Officer | Owner.com | 4 | $391,550 |
| Chief Marketing Officer | Jackson Square Aviation, LLC | 3 | $320,000 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Chief Executives in California, by industry
Median offered wage across 214 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Technology and software leads with a median of $239,200.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology and software | Intuit Inc. | 79 | $239,200 |
| Professional services | Vastek Inc | 39 | $220,000 |
| Manufacturing | MACHU PICCHU ENERGY LLC | 31 | $225,692 |
| Retail and wholesale | GOVBERG LLC | 22 | $208,445 |
| Finance and insurance | We Start the Company LLC | 13 | $298,000 |
| Healthcare | ZanoMed Inc. | 6 | $244,000 |
| Energy and utilities | Rivaz Resources LLC | 5 | $350,000 |
| Nonprofit and civic | Animal & Vegan Advocacy International Inc. | 5 | $170,000 |
| Education | World Wide Wings, Inc | 4 | $187,500 |
| Real estate | Jackson Square Aviation, LLC | 4 | $287,479 |
| Media and entertainment | Association of Surfing Professionals LLC | 3 | $360,750 |
| Transportation and logistics | Sendle USA Inc. | 2 | $206,875 |
| Government and public sector | STRATEGISM INC | 1 | $239,200 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in California over the past 2 BLS OES releases. Real values are CPI-adjusted to 2024 dollars.
Typical entry
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
5 years or more
On-the-job training
None
Top skills (O*NET)
- 4.8 / 5
Administration and Management
Knowledge
- 4.8 / 5
Judgment and Decision Making
Technical
- 4.6 / 5
Oral Comprehension
Ability
- 4.5 / 5
Oral Expression
Ability
- 4.5 / 5
Personnel and Human Resources
Knowledge
- 4.4 / 5
English Language
Knowledge
- 4.4 / 5
Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge
- 4.4 / 5
Critical Thinking
Cross-functional
Common tasks (O*NET)
- 01
Direct or coordinate an organization's financial or budget activities to fund operations, maximize investments, or increase efficiency.
- 02
Confer with board members, organization officials, or staff members to discuss issues, coordinate activities, or resolve problems.
- 03
Prepare budgets for approval, including those for funding or implementation of programs.
- 04
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.
- 05
Prepare or present reports concerning activities, expenses, budgets, government statutes or rulings, or other items affecting businesses or program services.
- 06
Implement corrective action plans to solve organizational or departmental problems.
- 07
Direct or coordinate activities of businesses or departments concerned with production, pricing, sales, or distribution of products.
- 08
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.
10-year outlook
Growth 2024 → 2034
+4.3%
Projected annual openings
—
BLS outlook
Average growth
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034 cycle.
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Explore coursesTop metros in California
Metro-level salary data for chief executives in major California metropolitan areas.
- Los Angeles$231,500
- Riverside$197,190
- Sacramento$159,800
- San Diego—
- San Francisco—
- San Jose—
Compare Chief Executives pay across nearby states
Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Chief Executives in California?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Chief Executives in California is $220,600.
- How does California compare to the national median for Chief Executives?
- The California median is +40.8% versus the BLS national figure of $156,662.
- Is Chief Executives a growing field?
- BLS Employment Projections show employment growing by 4.3% over the projection cycle. See the 10-year outlook section above for details.
- What education is required for Chief Executives?
- BLS lists the typical entry-level education as Bachelor's degree. Many employers also weigh prior experience and credentials.
Information on this page is for general educational purposes only. It is not career, financial, or tax advice. Wage data reflects BLS estimates for the reference year shown and may not match individual offers, employer-specific ranges, or current market conditions. Confirm with a licensed professional before making career or compensation decisions.