Chief Executives

What Chief Executives Do

Determine and formulate policies and provide overall direction of companies or private and public sector organizations within guidelines set up by a board of directors or similar governing body. Plan, direct, or coordinate operational activities at the highest level of management with the help of subordinate executives and staff managers.

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

5 years or more

On-the-job training

None

Self-employed

25.9%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• Administration and Managementimportance 4.8/5
• Personnel and Human Resourcesimportance 4.5/5
• English Languageimportance 4.4/5
• Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.4/5
• Economics and Accountingimportance 4.0/5
• Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.9/5
• Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.8/5
• Sales and Marketingimportance 3.8/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• E-Mail5.0/5
• Freedom to Make Decisions5.0/5
• Telephone Conversations4.9/5
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.9/5
• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.8/5
• Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals4.8/5

Related Careers

• General and Operations Managers
• Management Analysts
• Financial Managers
• Social and Community Service Managers
• Public Relations Managers
• Managers, All Other
• Education Administrators, Postsecondary
• Administrative Services Managers

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• Cost Estimators97% skill match
• Sales Managers97% skill match
• Advertising and Promotions Managers97% skill match
• Marketing Managers96% skill match
• Curators96% skill match
• Budget Analysts96% skill match
• Compensation and Benefits Managers95% skill match
• Medical and Health Services Managers95% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 4.8/5
• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 4.4/5
• Coordinationimportance 4.3/5
• Systems Evaluationimportance 4.3/5
• Management of Financial Resourcesimportance 4.3/5
• Management of Personnel Resourcesimportance 4.3/5
• Social Perceptivenessimportance 4.1/5
• Negotiationimportance 4.1/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Leadership Orientation
• Dependability
• Integrity
• Achievement Orientation
• Adaptability
• Self-Confidence
• Stress Tolerance

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• EnterprisingHigh
• ConventionalMedium
• SocialMedium
• InvestigativeMedium
• ArtisticLow
• RealisticLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where chief executives make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Boise City, ID3.17× national avg
2. 2Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA2.59× national avg
3. 3San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR2.40× national avg
4. 4Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA2.31× national avg
5. 5Bangor, ME2.03× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• General and Operations ManagersLateral Move
• Financial ManagersLateral Move
• Social and Community Service ManagersLateral Move
• Sales ManagersLateral Move

See the full career path from Chief Executives →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.