Chief Executives vs Sales Managers
Side-by-side salary and career comparison using Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Chief Executives
$206,420
median annual salary
Sales Managers
$138,060
median annual salary
Chief Executives earns $68,360 more per year (50% higher)
Salary & Career Comparison
| Metric | Chief Executives | Sales Managers |
|---|---|---|
| Median Salary | $206,420 | $138,060 |
| Median Hourly | $99.24/hr | $66.38/hr |
| Mean Salary | $262,930 | $160,930 |
| 10th Percentile | $73,710 | $66,910 |
| 90th Percentile | N/A | N/A |
| Total Employment | 211,850 | 603,710 |
| Job Growth (2023–2033) | +4.3% | +4.7% |
| Annual Openings | 22.2 | 49 |
| Education | Bachelor's degree | Bachelor's degree |
| Work Experience | 5 years or more | Less than 5 years |
Salary by State
States where both occupations have reported wage data, sorted by salary difference.
| State | Chief Executives | Sales Managers | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $231,500 | $116,640 | +$114,860 |
| Pennsylvania | $220,510 | $128,640 | +$91,870 |
| California | $220,600 | $132,440 | +$88,160 |
| Michigan | $219,230 | $136,480 | +$82,750 |
| Nebraska | $206,080 | $124,440 | +$81,640 |
| West Virginia | $181,930 | $101,920 | +$80,010 |
| Indiana | $205,780 | $126,740 | +$79,040 |
| Ohio | $208,590 | $130,210 | +$78,380 |
| Rhode Island | $211,810 | $134,180 | +$77,630 |
| Wisconsin | $209,090 | $134,560 | +$74,530 |
| Alaska | $168,680 | $97,330 | +$71,350 |
| Montana | $194,460 | $125,170 | +$69,290 |
| South Carolina | $181,830 | $123,860 | +$57,970 |
| Missouri | $158,930 | $102,420 | +$56,510 |
| Alabama | $164,400 | $108,740 | +$55,660 |
| Georgia | $201,750 | $149,570 | +$52,180 |
| Iowa | $178,530 | $128,010 | +$50,520 |
| Tennessee | $173,870 | $127,060 | +$46,810 |
| North Dakota | $171,310 | $124,500 | +$46,810 |
| Idaho | $173,070 | $126,560 | +$46,510 |
Showing top 20 of 40 states.
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Common Questions
Which pays more, Chief Executives or Sales Managers?
Chief Executives pays more, with a median annual salary of $206,420 compared to $138,060 — a difference of $68,360 per year.
Which has better job outlook?
Sales Managers has faster projected growth at 4.7% from 2023 to 2033, compared to 4.3% for Chief Executives.
Where does this data come from?
All salary data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 release. Job outlook data comes from the BLS Employment Projections program covering 2023-2033.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024.