Chief Executives Salary
Chief Executives in Raleigh-Cary, NC make a median of $286,050 a year, or about $137.52 an hour. The range runs from $114K at the entry level to $665K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.16), that's roughly $291,412 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,750/month, or 10.5% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $286K get you in Raleigh-Cary?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Raleigh-Cary’s Regional Price Parity (98.16). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About chief executives
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What this looks like in Raleigh-Cary
Raleigh-Cary sits well above the national pay line for chief executives, local pay runs about 34% higher than the U.S. median of $214K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,750/month, 10.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 98.16) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Raleigh-Cary offers a genuinely strong financial position for chief executivess at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chief executives in metros near Raleigh-Cary, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $329K | $338K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $354K | $382K |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | $381K | $391K |
| Winston-Salem | $274K | $297K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Raleigh-Cary, NC
Entry-level chief executives (10th percentile) start around $114K. Mid-career wages sit at $286K. Top earners bring in $665K or more, a $551K spread from bottom to top.
Chief Executives pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Chief Executives salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $342K | +60% | 910 |
| Washington | $340K | +59% | 3,170 |
| Illinois | $332K | +55% | 4,620 |
| North Carolina | $314K | +47% | 1,930 |
| Virginia | $311K | +45% | 4,870 |
| New Jersey | $310K | +45% | 2,430 |
| Connecticut | $295K | +38% | 1,660 |
| Hawaii | $282K | +32% | 470 |
| South Dakota | $281K | +31% | 510 |
| New York | $258K | +21% | 8,430 |
| Texas | $258K | +20% | 8,780 |
| Michigan | $256K | +19% | 4,950 |
| Indiana | $254K | +19% | 1,820 |
| Maryland | $249K | +16% | 3,180 |
| Rhode Island | $235K | +10% | 460 |
| Pennsylvania | $233K | +9% | 8,850 |
| California | $219K | +2% | 34,700 |
| Nebraska | $215K | +0% | 2,510 |
| Colorado | $213K | -0% | N/A |
| Iowa | $211K | -1% | 3,050 |
| Wisconsin | $208K | -3% | N/A |
| Georgia | $208K | -3% | 4,080 |
| Delaware | $200K | -7% | 390 |
| Tennessee | $199K | -7% | 4,700 |
| Minnesota | $196K | -9% | 6,740 |
| Montana | $182K | -15% | 670 |
| Kentucky | $180K | -16% | 2,070 |
| Idaho | $177K | -17% | 2,920 |
| Ohio | $176K | -18% | 4,470 |
| Vermont | $175K | -18% | 360 |
| Missouri | $172K | -19% | 2,550 |
| Utah | $172K | -20% | 3,140 |
| South Carolina | $169K | -21% | 1,740 |
| New Hampshire | $169K | -21% | N/A |
| Alaska | $167K | -22% | 640 |
| Alabama | $166K | -22% | 810 |
| North Dakota | $165K | -23% | 380 |
| Oklahoma | $164K | -23% | 2,390 |
| Kansas | $158K | -26% | 1,960 |
| West Virginia | $152K | -29% | 1,700 |
| Nevada | $150K | -30% | 1,370 |
| Wyoming | $148K | -31% | 60 |
| Mississippi | $139K | -35% | 310 |
| Maine | $139K | -35% | 1,580 |
| New Mexico | $124K | -42% | 100 |
| Arkansas | $120K | -44% | 3,550 |
Showing 1–10 of 46 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track chief executives salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Raleigh-Cary numbers change.
Related careers in Management
Frequently asked questions
Can a chief executif afford a 2BR apartment alone in Raleigh-Cary?
Yes — at the median salary of $286K, rent takes 10.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,750/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for chief executives in Raleigh-Cary?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chief executives typically earn — is $114K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $6,850/month. At HUD’s $1,750/month FMR, rent would take 26% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is chief executif a high-paying job in Raleigh-Cary?
Local pay is 34% above the national median — $286K here vs. $214K nationally.
How does Raleigh-Cary compare to the national average for chief executives?
Raleigh-Cary pays $286K median vs. the U.S. average of $214K — that’s +34%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.16), the purchasing-power equivalent is $291K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do chief executives make in Raleigh-Cary, NC?
The median is $286,050 a year, that works out to about $138 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $114,160, and experienced chief executives can clear $664,790. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $286K enough to live in Raleigh-Cary?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $16,077/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,750/month, which eats 10.9% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a chief executives salary go in Raleigh-Cary?
Raleigh-Cary has a Regional Price Parity of 98.16 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median chief executives salary is worth about $291,412 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do chief executives get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.