National Salary Info » Chief Executives

Highest Paying Industries for Chief Executives

The top 100 highest paying industries for chief executives (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $187,120, electronic and precision equipment repair and maintenance is the highest paying industry for chief executives. It is followed by food manufacturing industry (average annual salary $186,940). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of chief executives in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest Paying Industries for Chief Executives

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance	$187,120	$50,770	190
2	Food Manufacturing	$186,940	$75,110	2,380
3	Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing	$186,570	$85,030	250
4	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$186,480	$89,890	2,230
5	Primary Metal Manufacturing	$186,270	$100,160	800
6	Support Activities for Mining	$186,200	$83,640	700
7	Residential Building Construction	$186,000	$74,100	900
8	Other Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing	$185,950	$83,230	140
9	Construction of Buildings	$185,840	$88,410	3,250
10	Furniture Stores	$185,810	$113,160	140
11	Nonresidential Building Construction	$185,790	$96,070	2,350
12	Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing	$185,750	$73,990	160
13	Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services	$185,230	$102,370	1,580
14	Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing	$184,890	$92,390	670
15	Rental and Leasing Services	$184,870	$74,230	780
16	Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing	$184,800	$87,840	550
17	Credit Intermediation and Related Activities	$184,460	$84,470	7,970
18	Household and Institutional Furniture and Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturing	$184,370	$58,100	440
19	Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing	$184,200	$92,100	1,020
20	Newspaper Publishers	$184,140	$77,040	320
21	Office Furniture (including Fixtures) Manufacturing	$183,990	$99,590	270
22	Testing Laboratories	$183,980	$81,490	510
23	Forging and Stamping	$183,860	$74,650	340
24	Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing	$183,210	$82,970	690
25	Lumber and Other Construction Materials Merchant Wholesalers	$183,130	$71,850	350
26	Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing	$183,020	$70,690	750
27	Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$182,990	$93,910	60
28	Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries	$182,910	$64,210	1,820
29	Spring and Wire Product Manufacturing	$182,730	$72,390	170
30	Waste Collection	$182,530	$57,030	270
31	Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing	$182,220	$66,890	160
32	Telephone Call Centers	$181,060	$84,030	380
33	Nonscheduled Air Transportation	$180,920	$57,900	100
34	Activities Related to Real Estate	$180,570	$77,720	1,400
35	Clay Product and Refractory Manufacturing	$180,390	$99,630	140
36	Retail Trade	$180,360	$67,990	7,710
37	Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction	$180,280	$89,530	380
38	Facilities Support Services	$180,130	$83,840	160
39	Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing	$179,870	$94,310	310
40	Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	$179,830	$76,760	800
41	Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing	$179,600	$79,230	300
42	Rubber Product Manufacturing	$179,340	$80,340	190
43	Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters	$179,040	$65,290	280
44	Educational Support Services - Privately owned	$178,840	$82,940	790
45	Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities	$178,620	$63,210	370
46	Fabric Mills	$178,000	$109,840	110
47	Support Activities for Water Transportation	$177,860	$83,880	90
48	Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite)	$177,810	$103,860	100
49	Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing	$177,690	$78,860	820
50	Jewelry, Luggage, and Leather Goods Stores	$177,550	$56,190	40
51	Vending Machine Operators	$177,450	$113,840	40
52	Offices of Physicians	$177,260	$74,890	2,620
53	Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction	$177,200	$83,700	2,150
54	Charter Bus Industry	$177,120	$99,510	40
55	Gambling Industries	$176,980	$69,860	230
56	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals - Privately owned	$176,690	$83,470	220
57	Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods Merchant Wholesalers	$176,640	$75,830	860
58	Animal Slaughtering and Processing	$176,240	$64,500	370
59	Furniture and Home Furnishings Stores	$176,230	$79,870	310
60	Waste Management and Remediation Services	$175,940	$69,530	800
61	Mining (except Oil and Gas)	$175,400	$73,490	260
62	Landscaping Services	$175,310	$88,120	390
63	Coal Mining	$175,070	$62,430	50
64	Radio Broadcasting	$174,790	$62,840	180
65	Temporary Help Services	$174,710	$67,940	1,460
66	Support Activities for Air Transportation	$174,500	$72,760	260
67	Farm Product Raw Material Merchant Wholesalers	$174,470	$79,380	130
68	Business schools and computer and management training - Privately owned	$174,240	$77,720	340
69	Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities	$173,570	$91,080	370
70	Educational Support Services	$173,490	$84,200	850
71	Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction	$173,300	$74,090	830
72	Services to Buildings and Dwellings	$173,180	$73,750	1,360
73	Employment Services	$172,850	$69,850	3,100
74	Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	$172,820	$85,310	2,470
75	All Other Ambulatory Health Care Services	$172,730	$71,500	340
76	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - State government owned	$172,430	$79,990	1,490
77	Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing	$172,260	$68,840	930
78	Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying	$172,010	$83,310	180
79	Health and Personal Care Stores	$171,690	$57,410	380
80	Depository Credit Intermediation	$171,600	$80,290	6,520
81	Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation	$171,390	$59,470	370
82	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	$171,380	$78,870	3,990
83	Utility System Construction	$171,240	$89,540	860
84	Educational Services - Privately owned	$171,220	$78,190	7,180
85	Warehousing and Storage	$171,200	$74,730	440
86	Business Schools and Computer and Management Training	$170,330	$78,170	350
87	Boiler, Tank, and Shipping Container Manufacturing	$170,330	$95,700	270
88	Transportation and Warehousing	$170,080	$67,530	4,070
89	Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors	$169,640	$78,960	1,650
90	Support Activities for Transportation	$169,560	$68,120	1,010
91	Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories	$169,490	$91,680	420
92	Other Motor Vehicle Dealers	$169,350	$67,880	180
93	Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media	$169,290	$33,170	40
94	Construction	$169,070	$80,250	11,630
95	Freight Transportation Arrangement	$168,660	$81,290	490
96	School and Employee Bus Transportation	$167,720	$53,100	150
97	Hospitals - Local government owned	$167,600	$92,140	860
98	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Local government owned	$167,310	$92,390	850
99	Security Systems Services	$167,040	$78,930	240
100	Direct Selling Establishments	$166,810	$75,830	180