The salary of a Chief Operating Officer in the United States varies depending on several factors, including experience, location, education level, marketing trend and company sizes.
As of April 01, 2025, the average annual salary for a Chief Operating Officer in the United States is $425,846. According to Salary.com, salaries can range from a low of $346,872 to a high of $541,474, with most professionals earning between $384,508 and $486,370.
| Annual Salary |
Monthly Pay |
Weekly Pay |
Hourly Wage |
|
| 75th Percentile | $486,370 | $40,531 | $9,353 | $234 |
| Average | $425,846 | $35,487 | $8,189 | $205 |
| 25th Percentile | $384,508 | $32,042 | $7,394 | $185 |
An entry-level Chief Operating Officer with less than 1 year of experience earns about $400,550. With 1-2 years of experience, the average salary increases to $404,252. For 2-4 years of experience, the pay typically rises to $409,187. Senior-level professionals with 5-8 years of experience earn around $416,591, and those with over 8 years of experience can expect an average of $425,846.
| Levels | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry Level Chief Operating Officer | $400,550 |
| Intermediate Level Chief Operating Officer | $404,252 |
| Senior Level Chief Operating Officer | $409,187 |
| Specialist Level Chief Operating Officer | $416,591 |
| Expert Level Chief Operating Officer | $425,846 |
| Entry Level | 6% |
| Mid Level | 5% |
| Senior Level | 4% |
| Top Level | 2% |
| Experienced | 0% |
Salaries in the United States differ widely between states due to factors like cost of living, local economies, and industry presence.
What Am I Worth?
Salaries in the United States can vary greatly between cities due to factors like cost of living, local economies, and industry presence.
As of April 01, 2025, our research reveals a significant shift in Chief Operating Officer compensation over the past six years. For example, the median salary increased from $273,062 in 2023 to approximately $266,844 in 2024. (For a detailed analysis of Chief Operating Officer salary trends, click here.)
Key factors like location, experience, industry demand, and economic growth significantly influence salary variations, making them important to consider.
Salary.com job board provides millions of Chief Operating Officer information for you to search for. Click on search button below to see Chief Operating Officer job openings or enter a new job title here.
Here are companies hiring for Chief Operating Officer and their salaries, click below for more details.
| Core Compensation | ||||
| Core Compensation | Median | % of Total | ||
| Base Salary | $425,846 | 79.5% | ||
| Bonus | $0 | 0.0% | ||
| Value of Benefits | ||||
| Core Compensation | Median | % of Total | ||
| Social Security | $16,628 | 3.1% | ||
| 401K/403B | $10,500 | 2.0% | ||
| Disability | $8,517 | 1.6% | ||
| Healthcare | $8,352 | 1.6% | ||
| Pension | $13,500 | 2.5% | ||
| Time Off | $52,412 | 9.8% | ||
| Total Compensation | $535,755 | 100% | ||
| Degree Level | % of user with this level of education |
|---|---|
| No Diploma | 1.0% |
| High School | 5.8% |
| Associates | 4.1% |
| Bachelors | 39.2% |
| Masters | 44.1% |
| Doctorate | 5.7% |
What Am I Worth?
The average annual salary of Chief Operating Officer is $425,846. In case you are finding an easy salary calculator, the average hourly pay of Chief Operating Officer is $205; the average weekly pay of Chief Operating Officer is $8,189; the average monthly pay of Chief Operating Officer is $35,487.
A Chief Operating Officer's earning potential can vary widely depending on several factors, including location, industry, experience, education, and the specific employer. According to the latest salary data by Salary.com, a Chief Operating Officer earns the most in San Jose, CA, where the annual salary of a Chief Operating Officer is $537,120.
The highest pay for Chief Operating Officer is $541,474.
The lowest pay for Chief Operating Officer is $346,872.
Leads the planning and development of an organization's operational policies, objectives, and initiatives. Develops strategies and oversees the execution of plans to attain short- and long-term financial and mission-critical operational goals. Directs the development of the organization's functional capacity that will produce sustainable growth and minimize risk. Defines operating goals and develops budgets to support business objectives. Establishes effective operational policies and procedures. Researches technology changes to lead expansion efforts, drive scalability, and implement technology-driven solutions. Typically requires a master's degree. Typically reports to Chief Executive Officer (CEO). C-suite level management. Develops functional or business unit strategy for an organization. Executes multiple high impact initiatives to achieve organizational goals. Defines vision, strategy, and focus for a major functional or business unit. Substantial experience with setting key metrics like KPIs or OKRs and shaping plans to meet objectives. Typically requires progressive leadership experience in senior management roles. Has expert level knowledge of the overall departmental function. Demonstrated experience in developing and executing long term business strategies.
Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.
Leadership: Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
Health Care: Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration, or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people.
Accounting: Creating financial statements and reports based on the summary of financial and business transactions.
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)
With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.
