In May 2025 federal wage data, the median annual wage for Computer and Information Systems Managers ranged from $218,290 in California to $120,850 in Wyoming. Chief Executives ranged from $341,630 in Oregon to $119,990 in Arkansas, and Data Scientists from $163,350 in Washington to $69,490 in Mississippi. In Canada, the median hourly wage for Computer and information systems managers ranged from $75.43 in Nunavut to $54.50 in Newfoundland and Labrador.
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Median annual wages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025, for three official occupations: Computer and Information Systems Managers (SOC 11-3021), Chief Executives (11-1011) and Data Scientists (15-2051). Government surveys have no Chief AI Officer category; these are the closest. Where BLS publishes no figure, the cell shows Not published.
| State | IT managers (11-3021) | Chief Executives (11-1011) | Data Scientists (15-2051) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $138,670 | $166,420 | $103,120 |
| Alaska | $133,490 | $166,710 | $84,110 |
| Arizona | $166,430 | Not published | $107,240 |
| Arkansas | $127,220 | $119,990 | $109,390 |
| California | $218,290 | $218,600 | $141,590 |
| Colorado | $199,420 | $213,370 | $117,400 |
| Connecticut | $171,750 | $295,120 | $126,340 |
| Delaware | $168,500 | $199,990 | Not published |
| District of Columbia | $195,190 | Not published | $126,490 |
| Florida | $168,470 | Not published | $115,820 |
| Georgia | $173,940 | $208,180 | $104,340 |
| Hawaii | $141,640 | $281,640 | $102,130 |
| Idaho | $162,240 | $177,210 | $89,380 |
| Illinois | $171,730 | $331,920 | $106,560 |
| Indiana | $142,040 | $254,180 | $91,470 |
| Iowa | $143,780 | $211,190 | $95,830 |
| Kansas | $164,830 | $158,100 | $98,130 |
| Kentucky | $140,360 | $179,530 | $91,760 |
| Louisiana | $127,500 | Not published | $78,760 |
| Maine | $160,260 | $138,770 | $90,880 |
| Maryland | $171,490 | $248,660 | $136,370 |
| Massachusetts | $214,960 | Not published | $131,750 |
| Michigan | $163,760 | $255,560 | $100,590 |
| Minnesota | $176,380 | $195,670 | $128,800 |
| Mississippi | $124,280 | $139,250 | $69,490 |
| Missouri | $159,460 | $172,320 | $97,090 |
| Montana | $132,860 | $182,340 | $100,490 |
| Nebraska | $135,780 | $214,680 | $98,230 |
| Nevada | $165,000 | $149,770 | $98,540 |
| New Hampshire | $176,540 | $168,590 | $100,620 |
| New Jersey | $203,460 | $310,440 | $135,280 |
| New Mexico | $137,730 | $123,500 | $95,850 |
| New York | $214,300 | $257,980 | $130,460 |
| North Carolina | $172,860 | $314,290 | $119,090 |
| North Dakota | $149,130 | $164,560 | $81,900 |
| Ohio | $163,640 | $176,440 | $102,630 |
| Oklahoma | $137,280 | $163,790 | $86,310 |
| Oregon | $175,270 | $341,630 | $125,990 |
| Pennsylvania | $163,910 | $232,560 | $106,850 |
| Rhode Island | $167,270 | $235,360 | $102,440 |
| South Carolina | $160,860 | $168,840 | $91,990 |
| South Dakota | $162,240 | $280,900 | $96,150 |
| Tennessee | $158,700 | $198,830 | $100,330 |
| Texas | $171,530 | $257,850 | $122,090 |
| Utah | $163,610 | $171,880 | $108,090 |
| Vermont | $138,460 | $175,070 | $127,070 |
| Virginia | $201,490 | $310,740 | $126,430 |
| Washington | $209,370 | $339,810 | $163,350 |
| West Virginia | $139,820 | $151,950 | $85,090 |
| Wisconsin | $160,140 | $208,350 | $106,680 |
| Wyoming | $120,850 | $147,940 | Not published |
Download: all states and provinces, with employment, mean wage and BLS flags (CSV)
Which states pay IT managers the most?
California ($218,290), Massachusetts ($214,960) and New York ($214,300) had the highest medians for Computer and Information Systems Managers. Wyoming ($120,850), Mississippi ($124,280) and Arkansas ($127,220) had the lowest. For Chief Executives the spread is wider, from $341,630 in Oregon and $339,810 in Washington to $119,990 in Arkansas.
What does the Canada table show?
Median hourly wages from Job Bank (Employment and Social Development Canada), as published, for two NOC 2021 occupations. The reference period is 2023–2024, except Yukon and Nunavut, which use 2024.
| Province or territory | Computer and information systems managers (20012) | Senior managers, financial, communications and other business services (00012) |
|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $54.50 | $86.00 |
| Prince Edward Island | $58.97 | Not published |
| Nova Scotia | $58.97 | $79.49 |
| New Brunswick | $56.61 | $72.12 |
| Quebec | $67.55 | Not published |
| Ontario | $66.67 | $96.15 |
| Manitoba | $58.65 | $89.74 |
| Saskatchewan | $61.54 | $86.54 |
| Alberta | $67.31 | $86.54 |
| British Columbia | $63.16 | $101.92 |
| Yukon | $65.68 | Not published |
| Northwest Territories | Not published | Not published |
| Nunavut | $75.43 | Not published |
Wages are in Canadian dollars per hour. They are not converted to annual figures and should not be compared directly with the US table.
What this means if you are hiring an AI leader
These official occupations set a reference point, not a price for an AI leadership role. For comparison, certified FY2025 wage filings for AI leadership titles had a California median of $230,000, against $218,290 for California IT managers here; see what US employers offer AI leaders. The pay for a specific role depends on its scope and reporting line.
What the figures include and leave out
US figures are BLS median and mean annual wages for all workers in each occupation in each state and the District of Columbia. BLS also publishes Puerto Rico, Guam and the US Virgin Islands; we leave them out. In BLS's definition, wages include base pay, commissions and production bonuses, and exclude overtime and nonproduction bonuses such as year-end, retention or signing bonuses. Where BLS suppresses a figure, we keep its marker in the CSV and show Not published. Canadian figures are as Job Bank publishes them, including its note where data limitations prevent publication.
Frequently asked questions
Is this what a Chief AI Officer earns?
No. Government wage surveys have no Chief AI Officer category. These are the official occupations closest to AI leadership: Computer and Information Systems Managers, Chief Executives and Data Scientists. For filings that name AI leadership titles directly, see our AI leader pay table.
Why are the Canadian figures hourly?
Job Bank publishes these wages as hourly rates. We show them as published and do not convert them to annual figures, so they should not be compared directly with the US annual figures.
Methodology
US. BLS OEWS state file for May 2025 (oesm25st), downloaded November 13, 2026. Rows for SOC 11-1011, 11-3021 and 15-2051 in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Median and mean annual wage and employment as published, with BLS suppression markers kept in a flag column.
Canada. Job Bank wage data, 2025 open data release on open.canada.ca, downloaded November 13, 2026. Province and territory rows for NOC 2021 20012 and 00012. Hourly median and average wage as published, with Job Bank's reference period per row.
Refresh. Updated yearly at this address when BLS and Job Bank publish new releases.
Compiled by Husani Bastien. Tables were built with automated scripts from the official files listed below and checked by hand.
Sources
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state data (ZIP) (US government data, public domain).
- Employment and Social Development Canada, Job Bank wages, 2025 open data (CSV). Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
- Tables and CSV on this page: Talent Echo Advisory Group, licensed CC BY 4.0. Please credit "Talent Echo, talentecho.net/data/tech-executive-pay/".