Chief Executives in California. BLS OES + DOL OFLC + reader-reported submissions. How this is built →
Salary distribution
Where California chief executives fall on the wage curve.
Shaded band = interquartile range (where most full-time workers fall)
The middle 50% of workers earn between $133,610 and $351,090, with a median of $218,600.
Chief Executives in California: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 249 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $240,000. 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 | 73 | $140,000 |
| Level II — qualified | 78 | $239,600 |
| Level III — experienced | 42 | $324,958 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 16 | $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 |
| About Intelligence Inc. | Chief Executive Officer | 3 | $140,000 |
| Intuit Inc. | Director, Corporate Strategy | 3 | $412,000 |
| Lifelink Systems, Inc. | Chief Executive Officer | 3 | $300,000 |
| TURTLETREE LABS INC | Chief Executive Officer | 3 | $131,435 |
| AEHL US LLC | Chief Financial Officer | 2 | $180,239 |
| Atmo Biosciences Inc | President | 2 | $124,446 |
| Bloom Nutrition LLC | Chief Financial Officer | 2 | $5,400,000 |
| Dandelion Payments, Inc. | Chief Revenue Officer | 2 | $312,000 |
| Equinix, Inc. | Chief Executive Officer and President | 2 | $1,000,000 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Chief Executive Officer at Agentire Payments LLC$225,000Los AngelesWage Level IIDecided —I-203-26084-728511
- Chief Executive Officer at PurchasePlus, LLC$390,000San FranciscoWage Level N/ADecided Mar 31, 2026I-203-26083-724936
- President at Trilogy Merger Sub II, LLC$1,000,000San FranciscoWage Level N/ADecided Mar 30, 2026I-203-26082-723813
- Chief Commercial Officer at Arine Inc.$280,000OaklandWage Level N/ADecided Mar 23, 2026I-200-26076-707369
- VP, Technology Planning and Execution at PACIFIC LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY$330,000NewportWage Level IIIDecided Mar 20, 2026I-200-26072-703241
- Chief Executive Officer at Credible Labs, Inc.$750,000San CarlosWage Level N/ADecided Mar 19, 2026I-203-26071-699913
- Chief Executive Officer at ServiceRocket, Inc$239,200Palo AltoWage Level N/ADecided Mar 18, 2026I-203-26070-695702
- SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT & GENERAL MANAGER, DATA COMPLIANCE at ARCTERA US LLC$324,234San RamonWage Level N/ADecided Mar 17, 2026I-200-26069-691730
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.
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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 172 certified offers. The most common variant is Chief Executive Officer at a median of $234,146.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executive Officer | MACHU PICCHU ENERGY LLC | 86 | $234,146 |
| Chief Operating Officer | Spot AI, Inc. | 18 | $156,000 |
| Chief Technology Officer | AgRobotics, Inc. | 14 | $228,509 |
| Vice President | Aarki, Inc. | 13 | $324,958 |
| Chief Financial Officer | Bloom Nutrition LLC | 12 | $275,000 |
| President | Atmo Biosciences Inc | 10 | $252,659 |
| Executive Director | Vastek Inc | 7 | $202,738 |
| Chief Revenue Officer | Dandelion Payments, Inc. | 6 | $336,550 |
| Chief Marketing Officer | Adonis Health, Inc. | 3 | $320,000 |
| Executive Vice President, Film & Episodic | Framestore, Inc | 3 | $310,000 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Chief Executives in California, by industry
Median offered wage across 241 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Technology and software leads with a median of $243,442.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology and software | About Intelligence Inc. | 88 | $243,442 |
| Professional services | TURTLETREE LABS INC | 44 | $226,609 |
| Manufacturing | MACHU PICCHU ENERGY LLC | 33 | $225,692 |
| Retail and wholesale | Bloom Nutrition LLC | 23 | $211,890 |
| Finance and insurance | Dandelion Payments, Inc. | 19 | $312,000 |
| Media and entertainment | Eukaai Corporation | 7 | $203,840 |
| Healthcare | ZanoMed Inc. | 6 | $244,000 |
| Nonprofit and civic | Animal & Vegan Advocacy International | 6 | $216,217 |
| Energy and utilities | AEHL US LLC | 5 | $350,000 |
| Education | Dreamcape Learn, Inc. | 4 | $187,500 |
| Real estate | Aventuur, Inc | 4 | $287,479 |
| Government and public sector | STRATEGISM INC | 1 | $239,200 |
| Transportation and logistics | T3RA Logistics | 1 | $125,000 |
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 3 BLS OES releases. Real values are CPI-adjusted to 2025 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.
- San Francisco$288,690
- San Diego$238,440
- Los Angeles$234,290
- Riverside$176,700
- Sacramento$169,770
- San Jose—
Compare Chief Executives pay across nearby states
Considering a move? Compare California with another state
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 $218,600.
- How does California compare to the national median for Chief Executives?
- The California median is +1.2% versus the BLS national figure of $215,955.
- What is the salary range for Chief Executives in California?
- BLS reports the 10th-percentile annual wage at $85,790 and the 90th-percentile at $486,830, which captures most full-time workers in the role.
- 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.