COO Average Salary & Hourly Rate in 2025
A chief operating officer, or COO, is responsible for leading the planning and development of an organization’s operational policies, objectives, and initiatives. They develop strategies and oversee the execution of plans to achieve long-term and short-term financial and mission-critical operational goals.
The COO salary is affected by different factors like experience level, location, and education. Read on as we give you a salary overview, responsibilities, and job outlook moving forward.
An Overview of COO Salaries
As of August 12, 2025, the average COO salary in the United States is $465,000 per year or $224 per hour. The salary range is between $387,627 and $589,752, with most COOs earning $424,500 to $530,300.
| Percentile | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| 10% | $387,627 |
| 25% | $424,500 |
| 50% | $465,000 |
| 75% | $530,300 |
| 90% | $589,752 |
The industry of job titles affects its salary. According to the BLS, management of companies and enterprises is the top industry for top executives, like chief operating officers. Here are the median annual wages of top sectors for COOs:
- Management of companies and enterprises: $239,200 or more
- Professional, scientific, and technical services: $208,870
- Healthcare and social assistance: $194,360
- Government: $137,310
COO Salary: Hourly, Weekly, Monthly, and Yearly Breakdown
The average salary for COOs per week is $8,942, while the average salary per month is $38,750. Here is the breakdown of the hourly, weekly, monthly, and yearly pay for COOs:
- Average salary per hour: $224
- Average salary per week: $8,942
- Average salary per month: $38,750
- Average salary per year: $465,000
How Experience Impacts Chief Operating Officer Salaries?
COO salary for the entry level with less than a year of experience is $440,216. A senior level earns $448,679, whereas the expert level with more than 8 years of experience can expect $465,000 per year on average.
- Entry level COO: $440,216
- Intermediate level COO: $443,843
- Senior level COO: $448,679
- Specialist level COO: $455,933
- Expert level COO: $465,000
State-by-State Breakdown of Average Salaries for COO
Average COO salaries vary depending on different states in the US due to the industry presence, cost of living, and local economies.
The top 5 states with the highest average COO salaries are: the District of Columbia at $514,800, California at $512,900, Massachusetts at $506,000, Washington at $504,200 and New Jersey at $504,000.
| State | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $503,300 |
| Alabama | $427,200 |
| Arkansas | $420,100 |
| Arizona | $453,100 |
| California | $512,900 |
| Colorado | $474,400 |
| Connecticut | $496,900 |
| District of Columbia | $514,800 |
| Delaware | $470,900 |
| Florida | $440,000 |
| Georgia | $448,500 |
| Hawaii | $486,000 |
| Iowa | $445,000 |
| Idaho | $434,100 |
| Illinois | $473,900 |
| Indiana | $446,300 |
| Kansas | $442,700 |
| Kentucky | $437,500 |
| Louisiana | $442,100 |
| Massachusetts | $506,000 |
| Maryland | $479,400 |
| Maine | $453,300 |
| Michigan | $457,900 |
| Minnesota | $475,800 |
| Missouri | $441,800 |
| Mississippi | $414,700 |
| Montana | $439,000 |
| North Carolina | $441,900 |
| North Dakota | $459,300 |
| Nebraska | $438,100 |
| New Hampshire | $470,100 |
| New Jersey | $504,000 |
| New Mexico | $430,700 |
| Nevada | $460,200 |
| New York | $494,300 |
| Ohio | $452,700 |
| Oklahoma | $429,900 |
| Oregon | $472,200 |
| Pennsylvania | $462,900 |
| Rhode Island | $482,100 |
| South Carolina | $435,700 |
| South Dakota | $422,600 |
| Tennessee | $434,500 |
| Texas | $453,500 |
| Utah | $445,300 |
| Virginia | $468,200 |
| Vermont | $456,400 |
| Washington | $504,200 |
| Wisconsin | $457,400 |
| West Virginia | $418,700 |
| Wyoming | $445,900 |
COO Salaries: Top Earning Cities Revealed
The top 3 cities with the highest salary for COOs are San Jose at $586,500, San Francisco at $580,700, and Oakland at $567,800. Here is the list of other top-paying cities in the United States:
| Top Paying Cities | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $586,500 |
| San Francisco, CA | $580,700 |
| Oakland, CA | $567,800 |
| New York, NY | $538,800 |
| Queens Village, NY | $535,400 |
| Paramus, NJ | $531,600 |
| Passaic, NJ | $531,200 |
Explore COO Benefits and Perks Beyond Salary
COOs receive benefits and perks alongside their annual base salary and additional cash compensation. In Salary.com’s HR-reported data, the average total compensation for COOs includes social security, healthcare, and pension.
- Social Security: $22,082
- 401K/403B: $10,500
- Disability: $15,398
- Healthcare: $8,352
- Pension: $13,500
- Time off: $94,757
COO Job Description: Roles and Responsibilities
A chief operating officer, or COO, is responsible for leading the planning and development of an organization’s operational policies, objectives, and initiatives. They develop strategies and oversee the execution of plans to achieve long-term and short-term financial and mission-critical operational goals. A chief operating officer directly reports to a chief executive officer (CEO).
Here are the specific roles COOs usually do:
- Direct the development of the organization’s functional capacity that will produce growth and minimize risk
- Determine operating goals and develop budget to support business objectives
- Establish effective operational policies and procedures
- Research technology changes to lead expansion efforts, drive scalability, and implement technology-driven solutions
- Execute multiple high-impact initiatives to accomplish business goals
When and How to Ask for a Raise as a COO?
As a chief operating officer, you are tasked to oversee the daily administrative and operational functions of an organization, so if you want to increase your earning potential and get more competitive COO compensation packages, here are steps on when and how to negotiate an increase in salary for COOs:
- Reflect on achievements. Assess your performance as a COO in terms of increased revenue, decreased expenses, and enhanced operational efficiency. Highlight how the company accomplished strategic objectives during your leadership.
- Research on benchmarks. By examining market trends, determine the most suitable salary that aligns with your current position, qualifications, location, and industry. The average salary for COOs in the United States is $465,000 per year or $224 per hour.
- Choose the perfect time. To ensure positive outcomes, pitch your proposal when the organization's financial health and company performance are doing well, when your leadership has reached operational excellence, during annual review periods, or when you take on more responsibilities and critical projects.
- Be open to discussion. Healthy negotiation is key to a good pay raise experience. Avoid demanding tones and lean towards solutions and alternatives. Listen to the management’s side while properly articulating your grounds.
Why Does COO Make So Much?
A COO is responsible for the day-to-day operations of a company, including recruitment and hiring, financial operations, budget development, production oversight, and executing business strategy.
To effectively play the role of a COO, the position usually requires a master’s degree in business administration, extensive experience in setting key metrics, such as KPIs and OKRs, and shaping plans to meet objectives. Moreover, a progressive leadership experience in senior management roles and expert-level knowledge of overall departmental functions are required.
Usually, in private companies and startups, they offer business equity stakes that align with the COO's financial interests alongside the company's long-term success. The overall compensation package and high average base salary of COOs consider several factors, like demanding schedules, round-the-clock operation, and high-level responsibilities.
Chief operating officers have highly compensated skills, which translates to higher salary increases. In Salary.com’s Real-time Job Posting Salary Data, you can view job skills for COOs that give them greater compensation:
- Sales Management: +8.51% salary increase
- Lean Management: +7.70% salary increase
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB): +7.52% salary increase
- Regulatory Compliance: +7.25% salary increase
- Business Development: +7.09% salary increase
- Change Management: +6.98% salary increase
The Future of COO: Job Outlook and Career Trends
From 2023 to 2033, BLS projects that the employment of top executives, like chief operating officers, will grow by 6%, which is faster than the average for all jobs. In fact, there is an average of 343,800 job openings for top executives every year.
The COO position was usually dominated by certain sectors, like finance and manufacturing, but now they have been relevant in other industries with complex and technical operations, such as technology, healthcare, and logistics. Moreover, although the CTO role is still a male-dominated field, more women are now emerging to take on the role, leading to more inclusive leadership.
The operational excellence of COOs provides these sectors with structure, efficiency, and growth in complicated supply chains, high-stakes processes, and fast innovation.
This demand for executives is due to their significance in achieving smooth operational functions in the company. They are needed in formulating, governing, and making critical decisions, which are important in achieving the company's future success.
