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Best states for Chief Executives in 2026: cost-of-living adjusted ranking
$215,955
Chief Executives earn a national median of $215,955 in 2025. See which states win on a cost-of-living adjusted basis and how to compare any two states.
TL;DR
The national median wage for Chief Executives is $215,955 as of May 2025 (BLS OES). That number shifts dramatically once you adjust for what a dollar buys in each state. A $300k salary in California does not go as far as $200k in Tennessee. This article ranks states by COL-adjusted purchasing power, flags the states where raw wages mislead, and gives you a framework to compare any two states in under 15 minutes.
Start with the national median. Adjust for your target state's Regional Price Parity index. Compare the result, not the headline number.
The Number: National Median for Chief Executives
Chief Executives (SOC 11-1011) earned a national median annual wage of $215,955 in May 2025 (BLS OES, retrieved 2026-06-01).
The mean annual wage for the same period was $266,944. The gap between median and mean is large: $50,989. That spread reflects a small number of CEOs at very large firms pulling the average up sharply.
Total employment in this occupation: 152,570 nationwide.
We use the median throughout this article. The mean is noted here for completeness. All dollar figures are pre-tax.
What the Number Does Not Say
BLS OES suppresses state-level median wages when the employment sample is too small to report reliably. For Chief Executives, several lower-population states return suppressed or estimated figures rather than a confirmed median.
The national figure also counts every Chief Executive from a 10-person manufacturer in rural Ohio to a Fortune 500 CEO in New York. Those are legally the same SOC code but economically very different jobs. The BLS does not split by company size.
The national median is a floor reference, not a prediction of what any individual state will pay.
The Decision Frame: COL-Adjusted State Rankings
Why Raw Wages Mislead
A Chief Executive offered $280,000 in San Jose, California and $195,000 in Nashville, Tennessee faces a more complicated tradeoff than the headline numbers suggest.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis publishes Regional Price Parities (RPPs): an index where 100 = national average cost of living. California's RPP sits near 116. Tennessee's sits near 89.
The formula is straightforward:
COL-Adjusted Wage = (Nominal State Wage / State RPP) × 100
Applied to the example above:
| State | Nominal Offer | RPP (BEA 2023) | COL-Adjusted Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $280,000 | 116.3 | $240,757 |
| Tennessee | $195,000 | 89.1 | $218,856 |
The California offer still wins on adjusted terms in this scenario. But the gap shrinks from $85,000 to $21,901. Factor in California's top marginal income tax rate of 13.3% versus Tennessee's 0% state income tax, and the after-tax, after-COL gap narrows further or may reverse entirely.
State Tier Rankings
Because BLS suppresses or estimates state-level medians for Chief Executives in smaller markets, we cannot publish a fully verified table of state medians sourced directly from BLS OES. Where a state figure is not confirmed in the BLS data, we say so explicitly rather than substitute an estimate.
What we can do is apply the COL-adjustment framework to the states where data is reliable and representative, then group states into tiers based on the combined effect of reported wages, RPP, and state income tax burden.
Tier 1: High Nominal, High COL (Proceed with Caution)
These states report the highest nominal Chief Executive wages. They also carry the highest RPPs and meaningful state income taxes. The adjusted premium over the national median is real but smaller than the raw number suggests.
- California: RPP ~116. Top state income tax 13.3%.
- New York: RPP ~115. Top state income tax 10.9%.
- Massachusetts: RPP ~108. Top state income tax 9.0% (flat rate on certain income brackets).
- Washington: RPP ~108. No state income tax. This is the exception in Tier 1 — Washington keeps more of its nominal advantage after COL adjustment.
Key takeaway for Tier 1: Washington is the only high-cost state in this group where the full nominal wage survives COL and tax adjustment with minimal erosion.
Tier 2: Moderate Nominal, Low COL (Best Adjusted Value)
These states rarely top a nominal ranking. On a COL-adjusted basis, they often beat Tier 1.
- Texas: RPP ~95. No state income tax. Strong CEO market in Houston, Dallas, and Austin.
- Tennessee: RPP ~89. No state income tax.
- North Carolina: RPP ~91. Flat state income tax of 4.5% (2025 rate, continuing to phase down).
- Georgia: RPP ~90. Flat state income tax of 5.49%.
- Indiana: RPP ~88. Flat state income tax of 3.05%.
Key takeaway for Tier 2: Texas and Tennessee combine below-average COL with zero state income tax. A Chief Executive earning $10k–$30k less nominally in Dallas than in San Francisco can still come out ahead on adjusted, after-tax purchasing power.
Tier 3: Suppressed or Thin Data States
BLS OES cannot publish reliable Chief Executive wage figures for states with small employment counts in this occupation. This includes several Mountain West and Great Plains states.
If you are evaluating a role in one of these states, pull the BLS OES state file directly at bls.gov/oes/2025/may/oes_111011.htm, check whether the median is flagged as suppressed, and use the 75th or 90th percentile as a proxy if the median is unavailable.
Key takeaway for Tier 3: Suppressed data is not the same as low wages. It means the sample is too small to report. Treat these states case-by-case.
The 15-Minute Comparison Framework
You can apply this to any two states in a single session:
- Pull the BLS OES state-level page for SOC 11-1011. Note whether the median is confirmed or suppressed.
- Find the BEA Regional Price Parities table (BEA.gov, Table SARPP). Note the most recent RPP for both states.
- Calculate: (Nominal Wage ÷ RPP) × 100 for each state.
- Subtract the estimated state income tax burden at the relevant income level. For Chief Executives at $200k+, this means applying the marginal rate, not the effective rate, to the differential.
- Add three non-pay factors: access to the industry's talent pool, proximity to board members and investors, and personal factors (family, lifestyle, climate).
The adjusted number from step 3 is your negotiation anchor. The non-pay factors are yours to weight.
The COL-adjusted wage is the number you defend in the room. The nominal offer is what the other side leads with.
A Worked Example: Texas vs. California
A Chief Executive candidate has offers from two companies:
- Austin, Texas: $230,000 nominal
- Los Angeles, California: $275,000 nominal
| Factor | Austin, TX | Los Angeles, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal offer | $230,000 | $275,000 |
| BEA RPP (2023) | 95.0 | 116.0 |
| COL-adjusted equivalent | $242,105 | $237,069 |
| State income tax (approx.) | $0 | ~$25,600 |
| After-tax, COL-adjusted | ~$242,105 | ~$211,469 |
Texas wins by approximately $30,636 per year on an after-tax, COL-adjusted basis despite the $45,000 nominal disadvantage.
Note: The income tax estimate for California uses a simplified marginal rate calculation at the $275,000 income level. Actual liability depends on filing status, deductions, and local taxes. Consult a CPA before making a relocation decision based on tax savings.
For a full salary breakdown by state, see our Chief Executives salary page.
Growth Outlook
The BLS projects Chief Executive employment to grow 4.3% from 2024 to 2034 (BLS Employment Projections), roughly in line with the average for all occupations.
Employment base in 2024: 309,000 (thousands scale differs from OES count due to projection methodology). Projected 2034 employment: 323,000.
This is a "Job Zone 5" occupation requiring a bachelor's degree minimum and 5 or more years of related experience (O*NET 11-1011.00). The relatively slow growth rate reflects the structural reality that the number of Chief Executive slots is tied to the number of organizations, not to demand for a skill.
4.3% projected growth through 2034 means the CEO labor market grows modestly. Compensation gains for incumbents come from mobility and negotiation, not from a tight labor market.
If you are planning a path into this occupation, see our guide on how to become a Chief Executive for the typical progression and credential requirements.
Sources and Methodology
| Source | Observation Date | How We Used It |
|---|---|---|
| BLS OES, SOC 11-1011 | May 2025 | National median ($215,955) and mean ($266,944) wage figures; employment total (152,570) |
| BLS Employment Projections | 2024-2034 cycle | Growth rate (4.3%) and employment projection figures |
| O*NET 11-1011.00 | 2025 | Education, experience, and job zone classification |
| BEA Regional Price Parities (SARPP) | 2023 (most recent published) | State RPP values used in COL-adjustment calculations |
COL-adjustment method: We divided each state's nominal wage by its BEA RPP index value, then multiplied by 100 to express the result in national-average dollars. This is the standard RPP normalization used by BEA itself for interstate comparisons.
State income tax estimates are illustrative, based on published 2025 statutory marginal rates for single filers at the income levels modeled. They are not tax advice.
BLS OES state-level medians for Chief Executives were not individually pulled for every state due to suppression in thin markets. Where state data was not confirmable, we classified those states as Tier 3 explicitly rather than substitute an estimated figure.
FAQ
What is the median salary for Chief Executives in 2025?
The national median annual wage for Chief Executives (SOC 11-1011) is $215,955 as of May 2025, per BLS OES. The mean is $266,944. The gap exists because a small number of very high-earning CEOs at large corporations pull the average up. Most Chief Executives in the BLS count are running small to mid-size organizations, not publicly traded companies.
Which state pays Chief Executives the most?
On a nominal basis, high-population states with large concentrations of major corporations, including California, New York, and Massachusetts, report the highest Chief Executive wages. On a COL-adjusted basis, Washington state and Texas frequently rank ahead of California and New York because their RPP values are lower and their state income tax rates are zero (Washington) or zero (Texas), preserving more of the nominal wage in real purchasing power.
How do I compare Chief Executive salaries across states?
Pull the BLS OES state file for SOC 11-1011. Note whether the median is confirmed or suppressed. Find the BEA Regional Price Parities for both states. Divide each nominal wage by the state RPP and multiply by 100. That gives you a COL-adjusted equivalent in national-average dollars. Then apply each state's income tax at the relevant marginal rate. Our COL adjustment tool automates steps 2 through 4.
Is the Chief Executive job outlook good for 2026 and beyond?
Growth is projected at 4.3% through 2034, which the BLS classifies as average. The occupation is not on the bright outlook list. The CEO labor market grows slowly because the number of CEO roles tracks the number of organizations, not demand for a specific technical skill. Pay growth for sitting Chief Executives has historically outpaced employment growth, driven by compensation competition among boards.
Why is the BLS mean so much higher than the median for Chief Executives?
The mean of $266,944 is $50,989 above the median of $215,955 because BLS OES includes all Chief Executives in a single SOC code regardless of company size. A handful of executives at very large firms earn several million dollars annually. Those outliers raise the mean without shifting the median significantly. If you are benchmarking your own compensation, use the median as your reference point.
What education and experience do Chief Executives typically need?
O*NET classifies Chief Executives at Job Zone 5, the highest zone. The typical entry-level education is a bachelor's degree, and the occupation typically requires 5 or more years of related work experience. No formal on-the-job training is listed because the path to CEO involves demonstrated leadership across multiple roles, not a structured training program.