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Chief Executive Officers


Overview

Introduction

The chief executive officer is the highest ranking executive in a corporation or other organization. He or she oversees company operations, develops strategies for short- and long-term growth, and works closely with other top executives to ensure that goals are met and their organization runs smoothly. Chief executive officers (CEOs) typically report to a board of directors. Approximately 263,200 CEOs are employed in the United States. At some companies, CEOs may be known as presidents or chief executives. At nonpr...

Quick Facts


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Median Salary

$200,140

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Employment Prospects

Fair

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Minimum Education Level

Bachelor's Degree
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Experience

Several years in lower-level management positions of increasing r
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Skills

Business Management
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Personality Traits

Enterprising
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Earnings

Chief executives of publicly held companies are expected to generate strong financial profits for shareholders. As a result, CEOs of high-performing companies receive extremely lucrative compensation. In June 2019, CEOs of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index companies received, on average, $14.5 million in total compensation, according to the AFL-CIO’s analysis of data of 497 companies with ava...

Work Environment

Chief executive officers (CEOs)—especially at large companies—enjoy very comfortable and attractive work environments. They have large, modern offices that are filled with the latest cutting-edge technology. Numerous support staff workers are available to help them do their jobs. CEOs often enjoy such perks as executive dining rooms, the use of company cars and jets, and liberal expense account...

Outlook

Employment for CEOs is expected to decline through 2028, according to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) because of slowing growth regarding new companies and organizations. Despite this prediction, the DOL reports that there will always be a need for skilled business executives because they are “essential for running companies and organizations and their work is central to the success of a com...