Chief Executives Salary
Chief Executives in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA make a median of $288,690 a year, or about $138.79 an hour. The range runs from $100K at the entry level to $558K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 115.61), so that salary is closer to $249,710 in real purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $3,604/month, or 22.6% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $289K get you in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont’s Regional Price Parity (115.61). 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont sits well above the national pay line for chief executives, local pay runs about 35% higher than the U.S. median of $214K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $3,604/month, 23.4% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost-of-living overall is 16% above the national average (BEA RPP 115.61), so groceries and services cost more too. Combined with manageable housing costs, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont offers a genuinely strong financial position for chief executivess at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chief executives in metros near San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $234K | $206K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $170K | $159K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $238K | $213K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $177K | $166K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
Entry-level chief executives (10th percentile) start around $100K. Mid-career wages sit at $289K. Top earners bring in $558K or more, a $458K 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont numbers change.
Related careers in Management
Frequently asked questions
Can a chief executif afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
Yes — at the median salary of $289K, rent takes 23.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,604/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for chief executives in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chief executives typically earn — is $100K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $6,020/month. At HUD’s $3,604/month FMR, rent would take 60% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is chief executif a high-paying job in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
Local pay is 35% above the national median — $289K here vs. $214K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 16% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont compare to the national average for chief executives?
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont pays $289K median vs. the U.S. average of $214K — that’s +35%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 115.61), the purchasing-power equivalent is $250K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do chief executives make in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA?
The median is $288,690 a year, that works out to about $139 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $100,340, and experienced chief executives can clear $558,310. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $289K enough to live in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $15,372/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,604/month, which eats 23.4% 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont has a Regional Price Parity of 115.61 (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 $249,710 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.