Salary guide, May 2025
CEO / President (Manufacturing) pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Chief Executives in the United States was $213,990 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $129,540 and $356,200.
Also searched as: CEO / President, President, Managing Director, Division President. These titles share this page because BLS reports them under one occupation.
Broader occupation · SOC 11-1011 Chief Executives
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $75,700 | $129,540 | $213,990 | $356,200 | $507,730 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $36.39 | $62.28 | $102.88 | $171.25 | $244.10 |
BLS estimated 204,350 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 11-1011 Chief Executives, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Not published by BLS for this area. National figures above apply. | |||
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | Not published by BLS for this area. National figures above apply. | |||
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | Not published by BLS for this area. National figures above apply. | |||
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $286,050 | $171,810 to $417,820 | 360 | 0.36 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $301,440 | $208,320 to $462,490 | 7,180 | 0.58 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $301,440 | $208,320 to $462,490 | 7,180 | 0.58 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $320,060 | $198,120 to $442,330 | 2,580 | 0.49 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $344,960 | $197,530 to $428,710 | 3,610 | 0.61 |
Rank every metro for CEO / President (Manufacturing)
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels. Nested NAICS rows overlap; they are not independent samples and must not be added together. Identical source rows repeated at different publication levels appear once.
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (NAICS 324000)$360,290
- Paper Manufacturing (NAICS 322000)$344,970
- Chemical Manufacturing (NAICS 325000)$326,280
- Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (NAICS 335000)$323,770
- Wood Product Manufacturing (NAICS 321000)$311,420
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (NAICS 334000)$300,650
- Miscellaneous Manufacturing (NAICS 339000)$294,840
- Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (NAICS 327000)$277,640
- Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311000)$274,990
- Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing (NAICS 312000)$273,450
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (NAICS 336000)$272,830
- Primary Metal Manufacturing (NAICS 331000)$257,460
- Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (NAICS 326000)$243,120
- Machinery Manufacturing (NAICS 333000)$219,510
- Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (NAICS 337000)$217,200
Bars compare up to 15 non-overlapping 3-digit manufacturing subsectors with exact annual medians. More detailed scopes remain in the table, identified by code and publication level.
| NAICS / scope | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 · sector | Manufacturing | 10,990 | $160,390 | $263,290 | $390,070 |
| 334000 · 3-digit | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 1,480 | $191,620 | $300,650 | $424,700 |
| 332000 · 3-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 1,370 | $137,500 | $206,740 | $313,780 |
| 311000 · 3-digit | Food Manufacturing | 1,300 | $160,890 | $274,990 | $420,680 |
| 325000 · 3-digit | Chemical Manufacturing | 1,140 | $202,100 | $326,280 | $408,820 |
| 333000 · 3-digit | Machinery Manufacturing | 1,020 | $139,540 | $219,510 | $352,610 |
| 339000 · 3-digit | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 880 | $141,010 | $294,840 | $405,530 |
| 336000 · 3-digit | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 770 | $159,090 | $272,830 | $393,520 |
| 3330A1 · 4-digit | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 710 | $145,010 | $214,920 | $354,870 |
| 334500 · 4-digit | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 680 | $210,270 | $306,050 | $435,150 |
| 335000 · 3-digit | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 550 | $190,340 | $323,770 | $394,980 |
| 325400 · 4-digit | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 510 | $201,990 | $369,510 | $408,820 |
| 339100 · 4-digit | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 510 | $215,230 | $327,880 | $419,560 |
| 3320A1 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 470 | $156,020 | $216,570 | $355,510 |
| 326000 · 3-digit | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 450 | $169,760 | $243,120 | $421,530 |
| 311900 · 4-digit | Other Food Manufacturing | 400 | $174,520 | $301,120 | $441,210 |
| 3320A2 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 390 | $160,810 | $212,200 | $307,460 |
| 332700 · 4-digit | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 380 | $123,590 | $178,670 | $247,400 |
| 339900 · 4-digit | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 380 | $125,730 | $173,560 | $327,100 |
| 3250A1 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 350 | $203,280 | $300,900 | $428,840 |
| 334400 · 4-digit | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 350 | $219,450 | $349,200 | $431,780 |
| 326100 · 4-digit | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 340 | $175,270 | $244,590 | $446,450 |
| 332710 · 5-digit | Machine Shops | 340 | $123,590 | $176,070 | $232,460 |
| 331000 · 3-digit | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 290 | $105,600 | $257,460 | $310,230 |
| 337000 · 3-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 280 | $123,490 | $217,200 | $336,120 |
| 3250A2 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 270 | $205,990 | $277,750 | $370,200 |
| 335900 · 4-digit | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 270 | $211,550 | $341,650 | $412,110 |
| 336400 · 4-digit | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 270 | $201,050 | $281,650 | $355,230 |
| 336300 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 250 | $122,750 | $314,990 | $423,110 |
| 3370A1 · 4-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 250 | $123,450 | $218,560 | $361,750 |
| 311400 · 4-digit | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 230 | $128,650 | $229,290 | $395,010 |
| 335300 · 4-digit | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 220 | $164,830 | $271,430 | $363,630 |
| 312000 · 3-digit | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 210 | $205,180 | $273,450 | $399,990 |
| 322000 · 3-digit | Paper Manufacturing | 210 | $195,970 | $344,970 | $499,320 |
| 322200 · 4-digit | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 210 | $195,760 | $344,970 | $499,320 |
| 311600 · 4-digit | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 200 | $166,920 | $264,590 | $452,790 |
| 312100 · 4-digit | Beverage Manufacturing | 190 | $213,620 | $281,130 | $399,990 |
| 321000 · 3-digit | Wood Product Manufacturing | 180 | $124,420 | $311,420 | $377,800 |
| 311800 · 4-digit | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 170 | $161,220 | $330,940 | $437,700 |
| 327000 · 3-digit | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 160 | $212,260 | $277,640 | $363,180 |
| 333500 · 4-digit | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 150 | $124,680 | $176,560 | $320,080 |
| 334200 · 4-digit | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 150 | $246,110 | $409,320 | $447,710 |
| 311500 · 4-digit | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 140 | $138,990 | $198,910 | $308,900 |
| 321900 · 4-digit | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 140 | $105,640 | $307,640 | $367,810 |
| 333300 · 4-digit | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 140 | $214,420 | $299,240 | $370,220 |
| 332800 · 4-digit | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 130 | $134,010 | $202,060 | $320,660 |
| 326200 · 4-digit | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 110 | $153,280 | $208,210 | $340,150 |
| 334100 · 4-digit | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 110 | $188,680 | $243,470 | $400,980 |
| 315000 · 3-digit | Apparel Manufacturing | 100 | $146,640 | $162,590 | $445,360 |
| 315200 · 4-digit | Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing | 100 | $146,640 | $162,330 | $528,880 |
| 336200 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 90 | $109,990 | $208,670 | $379,400 |
| 331500 · 4-digit | Foundries | 70 | $186,190 | $257,460 | $286,070 |
| 336600 · 4-digit | Ship and Boat Building | 70 | $101,130 | $243,150 | $403,930 |
| 313000 · 3-digit | Textile Mills | 60 | $146,370 | $176,450 | $376,100 |
| 324000 · 3-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 60 | $303,990 | $360,290 | $447,260 |
| 324100 · 4-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 60 | $303,990 | $360,290 | $447,260 |
| 331100 · 4-digit | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 60 | $72,250 | $310,220 | $541,580 |
| 335100 · 4-digit | Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 60 | $239,200 or more | $239,200 or more | $239,200 or more |
| 331200 · 4-digit | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 50 | $198,380 | $275,320 | $331,550 |
| 311200 · 4-digit | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 40 | $184,410 | $264,440 | $359,060 |
| 311300 · 4-digit | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 40 | $190,390 | $276,290 | $380,610 |
| 314000 · 3-digit | Textile Product Mills | 40 | $176,820 | $206,270 | $258,950 |
| 314900 · 4-digit | Other Textile Product Mills | 40 | $176,820 | $206,270 | $258,950 |
| 332720 · 5-digit | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 40 | $109,880 | $211,540 | $331,280 |
| 336100 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 40 | $185,480 | $276,910 | $419,090 |
| 336900 · 4-digit | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 30 | $162,060 | $187,470 | $237,490 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For CEO / President (Manufacturing), separate the guaranteed salary from any discretionary bonus or commission arrangement. OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. It includes base rate, guaranteed pay, commissions and production bonuses. It excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits.
An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure. Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $126,080 | $206,420 | Top-coded, no exact figure |
| May 2025 | $129,540 | $213,990 | $356,200 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
How the leadership team behaved around them?
We talk to the people who worked for the candidate, not only the ones they list. Did the plant managers stay? Did the CFO and head of sales pull in the same direction? A president who rotated the whole staff in two years may have been right or may have been brittle, and we want the explanation before you hear it in an interview.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a CEO / President (Manufacturing)?
The median annual wage for Chief Executives in the United States was $213,990 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $129,540 and $356,200. This is the broader occupation BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $75,700. 90% earned less than $507,730.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a CEO / President (Manufacturing) at a plant?
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 204,350 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
Chief Operating Officer (COO) pay VP of Operations pay VP of Manufacturing pay Regional VP of Operations pay General Manager (Manufacturing) pay CEO / President (Manufacturing) pay ranked across all metros Open jobs CEO / President (Manufacturing) recruiting Check an offer for this role
What does this data mean for your opening?
Manufacturing Headhunters evaluates this executive profile through the Bureau of Labor Statistics broader Chief Executives occupational data. For CEO / President (Manufacturing) in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $213,990; the May 2024 median is $206,420. Their arithmetic difference is $7,570.
They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. This data point sits significantly below industry-specific benchmarks, such as the $409,320 median in Communications Equipment Manufacturing or the $360,290 median seen in Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing. It is critical for hiring managers to understand that these national industry figures reflect total compensation potential within specific sectors that the broader occupation classification does not isolate. For CEO / President (Manufacturing) in the United States, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation. The published middle interval is $129,540 to $356,200 annually. They do not assign pay to plant size, seniority, credentials or job complexity. Assess duties and candidate requirements separately; these rows do not measure a premium for them. For CEO / President (Manufacturing) in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded.
When comparing the national data against major employment hubs, the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro displays a median of $234,290, while the New York-Newark-Jersey City area reports a substantially higher median of $301,440. These metros represent the highest published employment concentrations for this occupation, not necessarily geographic proximity to specific manufacturing clusters. A location quotient in these areas signifies the density of the role rather than local availability or pay norms. Because BLS mapping for this role is broad, individual P&L size and ownership structure remain the primary variables during candidate screening. Candidates from owner-led environments often possess different risk profiles compared to those from public subsidiaries or those with experience in PE-backed turnarounds. Board requirements for an operations-led background versus a commercial-led strategy must be weighed against these national compensation benchmarks. There is no source data to estimate specific impacts of experience grades or candidate relocation willingness, so managers should view these numbers as baseline anchors for market-ready talent.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
National industry benchmarks provide context for performance-based earnings in specialized sectors like Pharmaceutical Manufacturing that broad data often understates. For CEO / President (Manufacturing) in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation.
How does the national industry data impact CEO compensation strategy?
National industry benchmarks provide context for performance-based earnings in specialized sectors like Pharmaceutical Manufacturing that broad data often understates. For CEO / President (Manufacturing) in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded.
Why is the P25 to P75 bandwidth so large for this executive role?
For CEO / President (Manufacturing) in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded. These variables account for the vast difference in pay between standard operational roles and those carrying heavy fiscal responsibility.
How should I interpret the higher median pay in the New York-Newark-Jersey City metro?
This higher median simply reflects the local labor market conditions for the broader Chief Executives occupational category. It should be used as a reference point for competitive hiring in that specific region rather than a national standard.
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