Chief Executives Salary
Chief Executives in Salem, OR make a median of $261,650 a year, or about $125.79 an hour. The range runs from $198K at the entry level to $564K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.65), that's roughly $252,436 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,560/month, or 10.9% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $262K get you in Salem?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Salem’s Regional Price Parity (103.65). 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 Salem
Salem sits well above the national pay line for chief executives, local pay runs about 22% higher than the U.S. median of $214K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,560/month, 11.2% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 103.65) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Salem offers a genuinely strong financial position for chief executivess at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chief executives in metros near Salem, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $376K | $356K |
| Eugene-Springfield | $275K | $270K |
| Medford | $616K | $607K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $234K | $206K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Salem, OR
Entry-level chief executives (10th percentile) start around $198K. Mid-career wages sit at $262K. Top earners bring in $564K or more, a $365K 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 Salem numbers change.
Related careers in Management
Frequently asked questions
Can a chief executif afford a 2BR apartment alone in Salem?
Yes — at the median salary of $262K, rent takes 11.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,560/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for chief executives in Salem?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chief executives typically earn — is $198K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $11,883/month. At HUD’s $1,560/month FMR, rent would take 13% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is chief executif a high-paying job in Salem?
Local pay is 22% above the national median — $262K here vs. $214K nationally.
How does Salem compare to the national average for chief executives?
Salem pays $262K median vs. the U.S. average of $214K — that’s +22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.65), the purchasing-power equivalent is $252K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do chief executives make in Salem, OR?
The median is $261,650 a year, that works out to about $126 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $198,050, and experienced chief executives can clear $563,530. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $262K enough to live in Salem?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $13,874/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,560/month, which eats 11.2% 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 Salem?
Salem has a Regional Price Parity of 103.65 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median chief executives salary is worth about $252,436 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.