CEO.
Fargo.
$224,000
median salary, 19% below the national average
$163,000 to $310,000. Last updated August 2026.
Get the job.
Data points to own the conversation.
Orbyt estimates CEO pay in Fargo at $224,000, within a range of $163,000 to $310,000. That is 19% below the national average. Fargo has a surprisingly strong technology sector, home to companies like Microsoft's campus and a growing startup ecosystem tied to North Dakota State University. 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 Fargo, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $188,510 for Chief Executives (SOC 11-1011) in the Fargo, ND-MN metropolitan area, based on 120 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$105,420
25th percentile
$138,810
Median
$188,510
75th percentile
$344,820
90th percentile
$505,020
Workers surveyed
120
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 Fargo 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 $201,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$146,000
to $179,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$190,000
to $235,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$246,000
to $291,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$280,000
to $347,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $55,000 to the total package.
Base
$224,000
Equity
$31,000
Bonus
$20,000
Signing
$4,000
Estimated total: $279,000
How Fargo compares.
Fargo, ND
$224,000
Cost of living: 15% below average
National Average
$275,000
Fargo is $51,000 below
CEO salary by city.
Salary by role in Fargo.
What you should know.
If you are interviewing for CEO roles in Fargo, here is what you are walking into. Fargo has a surprisingly strong technology sector, home to companies like Microsoft's campus and a growing startup ecosystem tied to North Dakota State University. The city's extremely low cost of living and emerging tech scene make it an increasingly attractive option for professionals seeking affordability. 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 Fargo, your dollars stretch further. Cost of living runs 15% below the national average, which means even a median salary buys a stronger lifestyle.
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: north Dakota has a very low income tax with a top rate of just 2.5%. Fargo has no city income tax. The minimal tax burden combined with low living costs creates excellent take home pay. When someone quotes you $224,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Highlight willingness to work on site. Fargo tech employers struggle to recruit talent to the region and reward candidates who commit to living locally. The range for CEOs in Fargo runs from $163,000 to $310,000. 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
Common questions.
CEO salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Fargo.
Related salary pages
Jump to nearby roles and cities most relevant to CEOs in Fargo.
Related tools.
Do you work as a ceo in Fargo?
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 Fargo, ND." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/ceo/fargo
Want this data on your site? Embed the salary widget. One script tag, free forever.
Related tools