JobAfterNext

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.

Wages

Median annual wage, U.S.$213,990
Employment, U.S.204,350
Median hourly wage$102.88
Annual wage percentiles, U.S., May 2025
10th25thMedian75th90th
$75,700$129,540$213,990$356,200$507,730
By state (47)
StateEmploymentMedian annualLocation quotient
Alabama810$166,4200.29
Alaska640$166,7101.51
Arkansas3,550$119,9902.07
California34,700$218,6001.45
Colorado$213,370
Connecticut1,660$295,1200.74
Delaware390$199,9900.61
Georgia4,080$208,1800.63
Hawaii470$281,6400.57
Idaho2,920$177,2102.59
Illinois4,620$331,9200.58
Indiana1,820$254,1800.43
Iowa3,050$211,1901.49
Kansas1,960$158,1001.04
Kentucky2,070$179,5300.79
Maine1,580$138,7701.88
Maryland3,180$248,6600.88
Massachusetts6,590Not available1.38
Michigan4,950$255,5600.86
Minnesota6,740$195,6701.74
Mississippi310$139,2500.20
Missouri2,550$172,3200.66
Montana670$182,3401.00
Nebraska2,510$214,6801.87
Nevada1,370$149,7700.67
New Hampshire$168,590
New Jersey2,430$310,4400.43
New Mexico100$123,5000.09
New York8,430$257,9800.66
North Carolina1,930$314,2900.30
North Dakota380$164,5600.67
Ohio4,470$176,4400.61
Oklahoma2,390$163,7901.07
Oregon910$341,6300.35
Pennsylvania8,850$232,5601.11
Rhode Island460$235,3600.70
South Carolina1,740$168,8400.57
South Dakota510$280,9000.84
Tennessee4,700$198,8301.09
Texas8,780$257,8500.47
Utah3,140$171,8801.38
Vermont360$175,0700.89
Virginia4,870$310,7400.90
Washington3,170$339,8100.68
West Virginia1,700$151,9501.84
Wisconsin$208,350
Wyoming60$147,9400.17

Similar occupations

Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.

#OccupationJob ZoneSimilarity
1First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers40.973
2Purchasing Managers40.973
3Sales Managers40.968
4Information Technology Project Managers40.968
5General and Operations Managers40.967
6Medical and Health Services Managers40.965
7Management Analysts40.963
8Human Resources Managers40.961
9Supply Chain Managers40.960
10Marketing Managers40.960

One skill away

Among the 50 occupations most similar to Chief Executives, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.

OccupationSkill to buildLevel gapSimilarity
Emergency Management DirectorsService Orientation1.870.945
Treasurers and ControllersMathematics0.880.940

Software to learn next

Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Chief Executives, excluding software Chief Executives already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.

SoftwareSimilar jobs using itLift
IBM Cognos Impromptu12 of 2010.4x
Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne12 of 208.0x
LinkedIn11 of 209.6x
Oracle PeopleSoft Financials10 of 2011.3x
Oracle E-Business Suite Financials10 of 2010.3x
NetSuite ERP10 of 209.6x
Oracle Hyperion10 of 209.0x
Microsoft Visio14 of 204.3x
Marketo Marketing Automation8 of 2012.3x
Salesforce software11 of 205.8x

Skills

From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.

SkillTypeImportanceLevel
Judgment and Decision MakingTransferable skill 4.75 5.38
Complex Problem SolvingTransferable skill 4.38 4.88
Critical ThinkingEssential skill 4.38 4.75
Management of Financial ResourcesTransferable skill 4.25 5.25
Management of Personnel ResourcesTransferable skill 4.25 5.25
Systems EvaluationTransferable skill 4.25 5.00
CoordinationTransferable skill 4.25 4.88
SpeakingEssential skill 4.25 4.75
Systems AnalysisTransferable skill 4.12 5.12
NegotiationTransferable skill 4.12 4.75
Reading ComprehensionEssential skill 4.12 4.62
WritingEssential skill 4.12 4.38
Social PerceptivenessTransferable skill 4.12 4.25
MonitoringEssential skill 4.00 5.25
Active ListeningEssential skill 4.00 4.75
Management of Material ResourcesTransferable skill 4.00 4.75
PersuasionTransferable skill 4.00 4.75
Time ManagementTransferable skill 4.00 4.75
Active LearningEssential skill 3.75 4.50
InstructingTransferable skill 3.38 3.88
MathematicsEssential skill 3.25 3.50
Operations AnalysisTransferable skill 3.12 3.88
Learning StrategiesEssential skill 3.12 3.75
Service OrientationTransferable skill 3.12 3.38
Operations MonitoringTransferable skill 2.00 1.50
Operation and ControlTransferable skill 1.88 1.38
Quality Control AnalysisTransferable skill 1.88 1.12
ProgrammingTransferable skill 1.75 1.00
Technology DesignTransferable skill 1.75 0.88
ScienceEssential skill 1.62 0.75
TroubleshootingTransferable skill 1.50 0.50
Equipment SelectionTransferable skill 1.12not rated
Equipment MaintenanceTransferable skill 1.00not rated
InstallationTransferable skill 1.00not rated
RepairingTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
Knowledge
NameImportanceLevel
Administration and Management 4.78 6.50
Personnel and Human Resources 4.48 5.78
English Language 4.41 3.91
Customer and Personal Service 4.39 5.94
Economics and Accounting 4.04 4.98
Public Safety and Security 3.88 3.35
Computers and Electronics 3.82 5.19
Sales and Marketing 3.81 5.04
Mathematics 3.60 4.63
Education and Training 3.52 4.60
Law and Government 3.48 3.58
Psychology 3.09 3.48
Engineering and Technology 3.05 3.51
Communications and Media 3.02 3.25
Sociology and Anthropology 2.88 2.53
Production and Processing 2.71 2.92
Geography 2.69 2.66
Telecommunications 2.59 2.51
Administrative 2.42 2.69
Philosophy and Theology 2.35 2.74
Transportation 2.26 2.32
Foreign Language 2.26 1.97
History and Archeology 2.16 1.85
Mechanical 2.10 1.92
Physics 2.01 1.28
Design 1.91 1.75
Therapy and Counseling 1.87 1.53
Building and Construction 1.83 1.55
Biology 1.74 1.26
Fine Arts 1.70 0.74
Chemistry 1.69 1.38
Medicine and Dentistry 1.51 0.65
Food Production 1.14not rated
Abilities
NameImportanceLevel
Oral Comprehension 4.62 4.88
Oral Expression 4.50 4.88
Written Comprehension 4.25 4.88
Speech Clarity 4.25 4.75
Deductive Reasoning 4.12 4.75
Written Expression 4.12 4.75
Inductive Reasoning 4.00 4.88
Problem Sensitivity 4.00 4.88
Speech Recognition 4.00 4.50
Information Ordering 4.00 4.12
Fluency of Ideas 3.88 4.62
Originality 3.75 4.25
Near Vision 3.62 4.50
Category Flexibility 3.50 4.00
Mathematical Reasoning 3.25 3.75
Flexibility of Closure 3.25 3.62
Number Facility 3.12 3.75
Visualization 3.00 3.38
Far Vision 3.00 3.25
Selective Attention 3.00 3.12
Speed of Closure 3.00 3.12
Perceptual Speed 3.00 3.00
Memorization 2.88 3.12
Time Sharing 2.88 2.88
Auditory Attention 2.12 2.00
Hearing Sensitivity 2.12 2.00
Visual Color Discrimination 2.00 2.00
Depth Perception 1.75 1.38
Control Precision 1.75 0.75
Multilimb Coordination 1.75 0.75
Finger Dexterity 1.50 1.00
Trunk Strength 1.38 0.62
Arm-Hand Steadiness 1.38 0.50
Spatial Orientation 1.38 0.50
Wrist-Finger Speed 1.38 0.50
Rate Control 1.38 0.38
Reaction Time 1.38 0.38
Response Orientation 1.38 0.38
Sound Localization 1.38 0.38
Dynamic Strength 1.25not rated
Glare Sensitivity 1.25not rated
Night Vision 1.25not rated
Peripheral Vision 1.25not rated
Dynamic Flexibility 1.00not rated
Explosive Strength 1.00not rated
Extent Flexibility 1.00not rated
Gross Body Coordination 1.00not rated
Gross Body Equilibrium 1.00not rated
Manual Dexterity 1.00not rated
Speed of Limb Movement 1.00not rated
Stamina 1.00not rated
Static Strength 1.00not rated

Software used

Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.

All 48
  • Infor SSA Human Capital Management
  • Listserv software
  • Lyris HQ Web-Analytics Solution
  • Mentimeter
  • Microsoft Dynamics
  • Microsoft Dynamics AX
  • Microsoft Dynamics GP
  • Microsoft FRx
  • Microsoft Publisher
  • Nedstat Sitestat
  • Norchard Solutions Succession Wizard
  • Online advertising reporting software
  • Oracle E-Business Suite
  • Oracle Siebel Server Sync
  • Relational database management software
  • Sage 50 Accounting
  • SmugMug Flickr
  • Web browser software

Where it concentrates

Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.

Metro areaEmploymentLocation quotientMedian annual
Boise City, ID1,6303.17$172,780
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA3,6802.59$169,770
San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR2,1802.40$98,800
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA1,2302.31$290,870
Bangor, ME1902.03$176,370
Omaha, NE-IA1,3302.03$228,220
Pocatello, ID1002.00$180,280
Aguadilla, PR1301.98$86,100
Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL1501.96$146,670
Lincoln, NE4601.92$217,780

More metros, other thresholds