Executive Leadership salaries: what executive leadership jobs advertise
Executive Leadership postings that state pay run $116,000 to $189,500 for the middle half, median $150,000, from 302 paid postings from 208 employers. With function, level and industry matched, pay is −18.6% (about $34k a year) against other functions.
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By Justin KullaLast updated
Executive Leadership pay range
From 302 paid postings from 208 employers. Annual, in US dollars.
- Lower quarter
- $116,000
- Median
- $150,000
- Upper quarter
- $189,500
The median for all professional postings is $140,000, so Executive Leadership is above it. With function, level and industry matched, Executive Leadership pay is −18.6% (about $34k a year) against other functions.
Executive Leadership pay by level
Levels with at least 30 paid postings from 8 employers.
| Group | Median | Middle half | Gap | Postings | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | $150,000 | $150,000 to $195,000 | n/a | 91 | 49 |
| VP and above | $151,500 | $105,000 to $189,500 | n/a | 206 | 157 |
Compare with other functions
The groups ranked just above and below by median.
Questions about this data
- How much do Executive Leadership jobs pay?
- $116,000 to $189,500 for the middle half, median $150,000, from 302 paid postings from 208 employers that state pay. That is above the $140,000 median for all professional postings. It is advertised pay, not what people are paid.
- Is Executive Leadership pay higher or lower once the job mix is matched?
- With function, level and industry matched, advertised pay is −18.6% (about $34k a year) against other functions.
- How does Executive Leadership pay change with level?
- Director: $150,000; VP and above: $151,500.
Method, download and how to cite
Data as of November 3, 2026. Rebuilt daily.
Pay is the midpoint of the range an employer posted (or stated in the posting text), converted to a year, on live U.S. professional jobs. It is advertised pay, not what anyone is paid.
A “gap, job mix matched” compares postings inside cells of the same function, level and industry, so a group is not credited for simply holding more senior or better-paid roles. It needs 150 or more postings across at least 5 cells with 15 postings on each side, and is shown as n/a otherwise. A gap is a difference in advertised pay between postings. It does not show that a skill, an industry or an employer size causes higher pay.
Download the CSV (aggregates only; no posting, employer or person is in it). Cite as: NextChapter, “Advertised pay in Executive Leadership (function) on U.S. professional job postings”, data as of November 3, 2026, https://launchyournextchapter.com/resources/pay-data/function/executive-leadership
See also the AI skills salary premium, which uses the same method for AI skills only, and the salary by job title pages.
More pay data
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