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Role hub · Chief Executives

CEO: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.

The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.

Maid DizdarevicCareer coach · 8x LinkedIn Top Voice
Updated Oct 24, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · O*NET 31.0
Pay ladder · select a percentile
Median percentile pay

Half of ceos earn more than this and half earn less.

Annual
$213,990
Hourly
$102.88
Source
BLS May 2025
Quick answer

CEOs 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. The median pay is $213,990 a year ($102.88 an hour) (BLS, May 2025). The most commonly reported education requirement is a master's degree (46% of workers surveyed by O*NET).

Median pay
$213,990
BLS May 2025
Employed in the U.S.
204,350
BLS May 2025
Preparation
Job Zone 5 of 5
extensive preparation
Most common education
Master's Degree
46% of workers

Data Government data groups this job as Chief Executives (O*NET-SOC 11-1011.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

Explore the role

Every page for CEOs

SalaryCEO salary

Pay by percentile, state and metro, with a negotiation script.

Open →How to becomeCEO how to become

Education, training and the skills to build first.

Open →ResumeCEO resume

Keywords, bullet formulas and the skills to prove.

Open →Interview questionsCEO interview questions

Questions with what they test, plus practice mode.

Open →Free toolCheck your resume

Parsed text, evidence per bullet, fixes first.

Open →
The work

What ceos do day to day

Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).

  1. Direct or coordinate an organization's financial or budget activities to fund operations, maximize investments, or increase efficiency.
  2. Confer with board members, organization officials, or staff members to discuss issues, coordinate activities, or resolve problems.
  3. Prepare budgets for approval, including those for funding or implementation of programs.
  4. 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.
  5. Prepare or present reports concerning activities, expenses, budgets, government statutes or rulings, or other items affecting businesses or program services.
  6. Implement corrective action plans to solve organizational or departmental problems.
  7. 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.
  8. Direct or coordinate activities of businesses or departments concerned with production, pricing, sales, or distribution of products.
Skills that matter

Ranked by importance to the job

Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.

Judgment and Decision MakingcoreComplex Problem SolvingcoreCritical ThinkingcoreCoordinationSystems EvaluationManagement of Financial ResourcesManagement of Personnel ResourcesSpeakingSocial Perceptiveness

Knowledge areas: Administration and Management, Personnel and Human Resources, English Language, Customer and Personal Service, Economics and Accounting, Public Safety and Security.

Tools and technology

Software ceos use

Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.

  • Atlassian JIRAContent workflow softwareHot technology
  • Extensible markup language XMLEnterprise application integration softwareHot technology
  • Database reporting softwareData base reporting software
  • Exact Software Macola ES Labor PerformanceTime accounting software
  • Graphic presentation softwareGraphics or photo imaging software
  • Halogen e360Human resources software
  • Halogen ePraisalHuman resources software
  • Human resource information system (HRIS)Human resources software
  • Infor SSA Human Capital ManagementHuman resources software
  • Lyris HQ Web-Analytics SolutionAnalytical or scientific software
  • Microsoft FRxFinancial analysis software
  • Microsoft PublisherDesktop publishing software

Also called: Chief Executive, CEO (Chief Executive Officer), Chief Diversity Officer (CDO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Information Officer (CIO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), Chief Technical Officer (CTO).

Method

How this page is built

Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the correlation between the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level, subtract the average across all occupations, and correlate the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 or below means unrelated. Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.

What this page can't tell you
  • How a specific employer defines the job.
  • Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
  • Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
Sources
  1. O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).