New Jersey · Occupational wage benchmark
Chief Executives Salary in New Jersey
What Chief Executives actually earn in New Jersey — the published BLS median, what it is worth after local costs, and how it ranks against every other state.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2024 estimates (published April 2025)), New Jersey state estimates for SOC 11-1011; cost-of-living adjustment derived from U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities (RPP) (2024). Occupational wage benchmarks across all workers, not MBA-specific outcomes.
- Median annual wage
- $310,440
- Chief Executives in New Jersey
- Adjusted for cost of living
- $285,318
- New Jersey price level 108.8 (U.S. = 100)
- Rank among states
- #6 of 46
- #7 after cost of living
- Workers employed
- 2,430
- in New Jersey
What Chief Executives earn in New Jersey, adjusted for what it costs to live there
A headline wage only means something next to local prices. Once local prices are accounted for, New Jersey drops 1 place — a higher headline wage is partly consumed by a higher cost of living.
| State | Median (nominal) | Adjusted for cost of living |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $341,630 | $330,521 |
| Washington | $339,810 | $317,541 |
| Illinois | $331,920 | $332,059 |
| North Carolina | $314,290 | $333,196 |
| Virginia | $310,740 | $307,347 |
| New Jersey | $310,440 | $285,318 |
| Connecticut | $295,120 | $284,837 |
| Hawaii | $281,640 | $256,150 |
| South Dakota | $280,900 | $317,093 |
| New York | $257,980 | $239,045 |
| Texas | $257,850 | $265,669 |
| Michigan | $255,560 | $265,608 |
| Indiana | $254,180 | $272,348 |
| Maryland | $248,660 | $236,912 |
| Rhode Island | $235,360 | $230,113 |
| Pennsylvania | $232,560 | $238,347 |
| California | $218,600 | $197,435 |
| Nebraska | $214,680 | $238,261 |
| Colorado | $213,370 | $207,051 |
| Iowa | $211,190 | $240,639 |
| Wisconsin | $208,350 | $221,425 |
| Georgia | $208,180 | $216,194 |
| Delaware | $199,990 | $200,375 |
| Tennessee | $198,830 | $216,425 |
| Minnesota | $195,670 | $198,406 |
| Montana | $182,340 | $192,657 |
| Kentucky | $179,530 | $199,126 |
| Idaho | $177,210 | $185,572 |
| Ohio | $176,440 | $190,183 |
| Vermont | $175,070 | $178,719 |
| Missouri | $172,320 | $189,744 |
| Utah | $171,880 | $173,855 |
| South Carolina | $168,840 | $180,098 |
| New Hampshire | $168,590 | $161,849 |
| Alaska | $166,710 | $162,868 |
| Alabama | $166,420 | $187,361 |
| North Dakota | $164,560 | $184,984 |
| Oklahoma | $163,790 | $186,458 |
| Kansas | $158,100 | $175,534 |
| West Virginia | $151,950 | $169,782 |
| Nevada | $149,770 | $149,801 |
| Wyoming | $147,940 | $159,606 |
| Mississippi | $139,250 | $160,144 |
| Maine | $138,770 | $142,988 |
| New Mexico | $123,500 | $133,931 |
| Arkansas | $119,990 | $138,019 |
Nominal medians: BLS OEWS, May 2024 estimates (published April 2025) — occupational wage benchmarks across all workers, not MBA-specific outcomes. Adjusted column: SalaryMBA estimate, computed as nominal ÷ (state RPP ÷ 100) using BEA RPP 2024 all-items regional price parities. An adjusted figure is a purchasing-power comparison, not a wage anyone is paid.
The national pay range for Chief Executives
BLS publishes the full percentile distribution nationally. It shows the spread within the occupation — the gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is usually far wider than the gap between states.
| Percentile (national) | Annual wage | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $75,700 | Entry / early-career end |
| 25th percentile | $129,540 | |
| Median (50th) | $213,990 | |
| 75th percentile | $356,200 | |
| 90th percentile | $507,730 | Senior / top-market end |
Other MBA-relevant roles in New Jersey
How to read the New Jersey number
The $310,440 median means half of Chief Executives in New Jersey earn less and half earn more. It is measured across everyone in the occupation — every level of experience, every industry, and every level of education. It is not the salary of a recent MBA graduate, and it is not a starting salary.
BLS counts roughly 2,430 people in this role in New Jersey. The national percentile spread above is the more useful planning tool: within a single occupation, the distance between the 10th and 90th percentile typically dwarfs the difference between states. Where you land inside that range is driven far more by industry, function, and seniority than by geography.
What this data can and cannot tell you
This page answers “what does this role pay here.” It cannot answer “what will an MBA pay me here.” The BLS surveys establishments about occupations, not degrees, so no MBA premium can be isolated from it. Any site presenting these figures as MBA salaries is overstating what the source supports.
For MBA-specific figures we rely on cited school employment reports and moderated submissions, published only above our sample-size gates — see our methodology. To model your own economics, the MBA ROI calculator turns a target salary, tuition, and debt into a payback estimate.
Frequently asked questions
How much do Chief Executives make in New Jersey?
Chief Executives in New Jersey earn a median of $310,440 per year, according to BLS OEWS May 2024 estimates (published April 2025). That is +45.1% vs national, ranking New Jersey #6 of 46 states with published data for this role. This is an occupational wage benchmark measured across all workers in the occupation, not an MBA-graduate-specific salary.
Is $310,440 a good salary for Chief Executives in New Jersey?
It depends on local prices. New Jersey's overall price level is 108.8 against a U.S. average of 100, so a $310,440 salary there has roughly the purchasing power of $285,318 nationally — about $25,122 less than the headline number implies. Once local prices are accounted for, New Jersey drops 1 place — a higher headline wage is partly consumed by a higher cost of living.
Do Chief Executives in New Jersey need an MBA?
These BLS figures cover everyone in the occupation regardless of degree, so they cannot tell you what an MBA specifically adds. Chief Executives is a role MBA graduates commonly target, and an MBA can affect where you land within the range through network, function, and seniority — but any claim of a precise MBA premium for this role in New Jersey would not be supported by this data. Verified MBA-specific outcomes are collected separately and published only once they clear our sample-size gates.
Why is housing cost relevant to Chief Executives pay in New Jersey?
Housing is the single largest driver of geographic cost differences. New Jersey's housing price level is 134.3 against a U.S. average of 100 — substantially above average, which absorbs a large share of any wage premium. Overall prices there sit at 108.8.
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Every figure on SalaryMBA is source-labeled. See our methodology for how we source and gate data.