Chief Executives
SOC 11-1011 · 2024-2034
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.
How the U.S. Department of Labor describes this work. Published in English only.
What California expects of this job
- Typical pay in California
- $222,267per year
- Projected openings
- 36,890
- Projected change
- +7.4%
- Usually needs
- Bachelor's degree
Skills this work uses most
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, rates how important each of these is to this work, and they are listed in that order, most important first. The ratings themselves are not shown, because the data carries the number without the scale it was measured on. The names are as published, in English.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Critical Thinking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Coordination
- Systems Evaluation
- Management of Personnel Resources
Pay by region
| Region | Typical pay in California | Projected openings |
|---|---|---|
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) | $238,402 | 3,580 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $234,457 | 9,610 |
| Salinas MSA (Monterey County) | $225,189 | 390 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville MSA (Santa Cruz County) | $218,660 | 270 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA (Ventura County) | $217,102 | 630 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma MSA (Sonoma County) | $216,705 | 390 |
| Yuba City MSA (Sutter and Yuba Counties) | $214,423 | 90 |
| Stockton-Lodi MSA (San Joaquin County) | $212,315 | 400 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA (Santa Barbara County) | $209,494 | 520 |
| Redding MSA (Shasta County) | $204,024 | 130 |
| Modesto MSA (Stanislaus County) | $201,192 | 320 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) | $200,846 | 2,280 |
| Bakersfield-Delano MSA (Kern County) | $197,566 | 560 |
| Vallejo MSA (Solano County) | $185,568 | 210 |
| Fresno MSA (Fresno and Madera Counties) | $182,686 | 820 |
| Hanford-Corcoran MSA (Kings County) | $176,360 | 80 |
| Visalia MSA (Tulare County) | $173,855 | 270 |
| Chico MSA (Butte County) | $170,025 | 120 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles MSA (San Luis Obispo County) | $165,299 | 220 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA (El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties) | $162,763 | 4,180 |
| El Centro MSA (Imperial County) | $155,643 | 110 |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region (Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Inyo, Mariposa, Mono, and Tuolumne Counties) | $154,859 | 120 |
| North Coast Region (Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, and Mendocino Counties) | $131,860 | 260 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region (Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Plumas, Sierra, Siskiyou, Tehama, and Trinity Counties) | $127,898 | 230 |
| Merced MSA (Merced County) | Not reported | 160 |
| Napa MSA (Napa County) | Not reported | 150 |
| Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) | Not reported | 2,730 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA (San Diego County) | Not reported | 3,740 |
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD (San Francisco and San Mateo Counties) | Not reported | 3,860 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA (San Benito and Santa Clara Counties) | Not reported | 2,680 |
| San Rafael MD (Marin County) | Not reported | 230 |
What the pay actually ranges across
- The lowest-paid tenth earn under
- $87,229
- A quarter earn under
- $135,852
- Half earn under
- $222,267
- Three quarters earn under
- $356,980
- The highest-paid tenth earn over
- $494,997
A median is one point. These are the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for California, and they say how far apart the people doing this job actually are. Read them as the spread across everyone already in the work — not as a starting wage and not as a promise about where anyone lands.
Similar work
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, names these as occupations involving work similar to this one — its own reading of the job, not a grouping by code. They keep O*NET's order, and only those California publishes a projection for are shown.
| Occupation | Typical pay in California | Projected openings | Projected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | $126,477 | 264,410 | +6.7% |
| Public Relations Managers | $170,798 | 8,060 | +8.3% |
| Social and Community Service Managers | $84,606 | 35,490 | +19.3% |
| Financial Managers | $183,803 | 84,770 | +16.3% |
| Managers, All Other | $177,489 | 175,120 | +9.7% |
| Education Administrators, Postsecondary | $127,565 | 12,400 | +2.7% |
Programs that train for this job — 18
AS-T Degree Business Administration
Contra Costa College · San Pablo · $3,974
AS Degree Business Management
Contra Costa College · San Pablo · $4,001
Cert. of Achievement Business Administration
Contra Costa College · San Pablo · $2,537
Business - General Business AA Degree
Cabrillo College · Aptos · $5,857
Business - General Business AS Degree
Cabrillo College · Aptos · $5,857
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Concentration in General Business
SF State, College of Professional & Global Education · San Francisco · $30,770
Contract Management Certificate
UCLA Extension · Los Angeles · $5,181
Certificate in Government Cost Estimating and Pricing (Online)
UCLA Extension · Los Angeles · $6,682
Business Fundamentals (Hybrid)
UCLA Extension · Los Angeles · $9,870
Business Administration
UCSC Silicon Valley Extension · Santa Clara · $7,820
Sustainable Business Practices (Online)
UCSD Division of Extended Studies · La Jolla · $3,550
Business Analyst and Oracle Financials Rel 12
Amfasoft · Fremont · $7,275
Business Analysis Professional (BAP)
AAA Institute · Van Nuys · $3,999
Quick Books and MS Office (Online)
AAA Institute · Van Nuys · $6,499
Business Administration
San Bernardino Valley College · San Bernardino · $2,885
Nonprofit Management Certificate Program
California State University, East Bay, University Extension · Hayward · $3,465
Business Administration
Sonoma State University · Rohnert Park · $26,082
Supply Management
University of California San Diego Division of Extended Studies · San Diego · $8,275