CEO.
Denver.
$309,000
median salary, 12% above the national average
$225,000 to $427,000. Last updated August 2026.
Get the job.
Data points to own the conversation.
A CEO in Denver earns a median of $309,000 in 2026. That is 12% above the national average. The range runs from $225,000 to $427,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. Company stage, revenue scale, and industry sector are the primary salary determinants. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for CEO in Denver, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. BLS does not publish this occupation for this metro area, so the national published benchmark is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $213,990 for Chief Executives (SOC 11-1011) across the United States, based on 204,350 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$75,700
25th percentile
$129,540
Median
$213,990
75th percentile
$356,200
90th percentile
$507,730
Workers surveyed
204,350
What BLS published in each release
May 2024 release
$206,420
May 2025 release
$213,990
These are two separate published estimates, not a time series. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not encourage the use of OEWS data for time-series analysis. Differences between releases reflect changes in occupational classification, survey methodology, and the three-year pooled sample as well as any change in pay, so the two figures should not be read as a rate of wage growth.
Why this differs from the estimate above. The Orbyt estimate of $309,000 is 44% higher than this published figure. That is usually not an error in either number: BLS reports by occupation code, and Chief Executives covers a different population than the CEO title as it is typically advertised. Both are shown, unreconciled, so you can judge which one describes the job you mean.
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Chief Executives (SOC 11-1011) rather than CEO specifically. The national range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 11-1011Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $278,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$201,000
to $247,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$263,000
to $324,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$340,000
to $402,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$386,000
to $479,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $77,000 to the total package.
Base
$309,000
Equity
$43,000
Bonus
$28,000
Signing
$6,000
Estimated total: $386,000
How Denver compares.
Denver, CO
$309,000
Cost of living: 8% above average
National Average
$275,000
Denver is $34,000 above
CEO salary by city.
Salary by role in Denver.
What you should know.
Here is what the CEO market actually looks like in Denver. Denver has emerged as a secondary tech hub with strong aerospace, telecom, and outdoor industry employers. The city attracts remote workers and relocating companies seeking lower costs than the coasts. Salaries have climbed steadily as national employers open satellite offices and compete for Denver's growing talent pool. Company stage, revenue scale, and industry sector are the primary salary determinants. Public company CEOs and those at venture-backed late-stage startups command the highest base salaries. Geographic market and board composition also influence base pay, with coastal tech hubs offering the strongest packages.
VP-level leaders earn $180,000 to $250,000 before moving into C-suite. First-time CEOs at early-stage startups may take $120,000 to $200,000 with heavy equity. CEOs at mid-market companies earn $275,000 to $500,000. Large enterprise CEOs exceed $500,000 in base alone. In Denver, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Base salary often represents just 15 to 30% of total CEO compensation. Equity grants, performance bonuses tied to revenue or EBITDA targets, and long-term incentive plans can bring total compensation to $1 million to $10 million or more at scale companies. And on the tax side: colorado has a flat 4.4% state income tax. Denver has no additional city income tax, making the overall tax burden lighter than most coastal metros. When someone quotes you $309,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Position yourself as a remote talent anchor. Many companies pay near coastal rates for Denver based employees to save on office costs while retaining top performers. The range for CEOs in Denver runs from $225,000 to $427,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A General Counsel in Denver earns $308,000 (0% more)
- The highest-paying role in Denver is CTO at $311,000
Common questions.
CEO salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Denver.
Related salary pages
Jump to nearby roles and cities most relevant to CEOs in Denver.
Related tools.
Do you work as a ceo in Denver?
Your individual figure is never published. Submissions appear only as aggregate percentiles, and nothing is shown for a role and city until at least five people have reported. It is stored against your account, which is what keeps the dataset clean.
Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"CEO Salary in Denver, CO." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/ceo/denver
Want this data on your site? Embed the salary widget. One script tag, free forever.
Related tools