Chief Operating Officer, Data Center Salary
This is the Data Center Headhunters salary guide.
BLS does not measure Chief Operating Officer, Data Center as its own occupation, so this page uses Chief Executives (SOC 11-1011, broader occupation). The median annual wage in the United States was $213,990 (BLS, May 2025), and the middle half earned $129,540 to $356,200.
This is what we do all day: recruit data center professionals.
Broader occupation
Chief Executives is a broader occupation based on the work described, not a separate data center wage series. BLS does not distinguish this title, experience level, shift, credentials or data center employers. Confirm the actual duties before using this comparison.
National pay range
| Point | Annual wage | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $75,700 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $129,540 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median | $213,990 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $356,200 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $507,730 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $269,630 | Average wage. |
| Point | Hourly wage | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36.39 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $62.28 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median | $102.88 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $171.25 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $244.1 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $129.63 | Average wage. |
What BLS wages include: base pay plus any guaranteed or production-based incentive pay. What they leave out: overtime, discretionary bonus, benefits, per diem and relocation.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 11-1011 Chief Executives, United States. View this release at BLS.
Pay relative to all occupations
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| This occupation, median | $213,990 |
| All occupations (SOC 00-0000), median | $50,980 |
| Relative wage | 4.20 times |
A ratio of 1.00 means the same median as all workers in the area. It is arithmetic on two BLS medians, not a BLS statistic.
Pay in industries that hire this occupation
| Industry (BLS name) | NAICS | Employment | Share of occupation | Median | P25 to P75 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | 541500 | 9,310 | 4.6% | $294,260 | $179,990 to $331,240 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | 541300 | 3,180 | 1.6% | $219,190 | $149,480 to $342,870 |
| Engineering Services | 541330 | 2,290 | 1.1% | $225,800 | $154,390 to $373,420 |
| Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services | 518200 | 1,950 | 1.0% | $269,660 | $170,180 to $364,050 |
| Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | 423400 | 1,730 | 0.8% | $289,200 | $152,940 to $397,810 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 238200 | 1,490 | 0.7% | $168,840 | $104,310 to $261,870 |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | 221100 | 880 | 0.4% | $258,950 | $110,850 to $371,950 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction | 236200 | 840 | 0.4% | $225,550 | $168,640 to $347,300 |
| Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | 238220 | 760 | 0.4% | $174,130 | $93,740 to $271,790 |
| Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors | 238210 | 630 | 0.3% | $172,410 | $118,510 to $266,910 |
| Utility System Construction | 237100 | 480 | 0.2% | $206,420 | $168,140 to $295,070 |
| Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance | 811300 | 410 | 0.2% | $218,430 | $119,840 to $333,930 |
| Testing Laboratories and Services | 541380 | 360 | 0.2% | $155,280 | $83,970 to $292,140 |
| Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction | 237130 | 270 | 0.1% | $245,980 | $175,580 to $344,190 |
| Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 335900 | 270 | 0.1% | $341,650 | $211,550 to $412,110 |
| Facilities Support Services | 561200 | 120 | 0.1% | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS to Not published by BLS |
| Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 334100 | 110 | 0.1% | $243,470 | $188,680 to $400,980 |
These national industry rows cover privately owned establishments. Industry names are exact BLS NAICS titles. Industries overlap, so shares do not sum to 100%. An industry row does not mean the employer runs data centers.
Pay in target metros
| Metro area | Median | P25 to P75 | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $320,060 | $198,120 to $442,330 | 2,580 | 0.49 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $138,900 | $81,360 to $224,270 | 3,140 | 1 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $275,820 | $149,990 to $418,050 | 2,350 | 0.62 |
| Columbus, OH | $162,910 | $133,540 to $311,080 | 1,160 | 0.8 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $344,960 | $197,530 to $428,710 | 3,610 | 0.61 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $375,810 | $222,210 to $545,860 | 690 | 0.43 |
Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.
Highest and lowest paying metros
Ranked by published median annual wage among 317 metro areas with an exact median.
| Rank | Metro area | Median | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medford, OR | $615,500 | 40 | 0.3 |
| 2 | Midland, MI | $587,950 | 60 | 1.17 |
| 3 | Midland, TX | $389,330 | 100 | 0.64 |
| 4 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $388,060 | 480 | 0.91 |
| 5 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $381,330 | 140 | 0.32 |
| 6 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $375,810 | 690 | 0.43 |
| 7 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $370,000 | 2,060 | 0.75 |
| 8 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | $354,310 | 160 | 0.32 |
| 9 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $344,960 | 3,610 | 0.61 |
| 10 | Evansville, IN | $339,330 | 40 | 0.23 |
| Rank | Metro area | Median | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 308 | Jefferson City, MO | $113,090 | 120 | 1.15 |
| 309 | Youngstown-Warren, OH | $109,730 | 150 | 0.71 |
| 310 | Lake Charles, LA | $108,200 | 60 | 0.45 |
| 311 | Rome, GA | $106,740 | 30 | 0.55 |
| 312 | Sebring, FL | $100,430 | 70 | 1.84 |
| 313 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $98,800 | 2,180 | 2.4 |
| 314 | Mayaguez, PR | $90,220 | 90 | 1.34 |
| 315 | Arecibo, PR | $86,270 | 70 | 1.6 |
| 316 | Aguadilla, PR | $86,100 | 130 | 1.98 |
| 317 | Ponce, PR | $81,730 | 120 | 1.39 |
Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.
Where pay is highest relative to local wages
This compares the occupation's median with the all-occupations median in the same metro and on the same annual basis. It does not adjust for living costs. Only exact published medians are ranked. A top-coded lower bound cannot establish an exact rank.
| Metro | Occupation median | All-occupations median | Ratio | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medford, OR | $615,500 | $49,900 | 12.33 times | 40 | 0.3 |
| Midland, MI | $587,950 | $49,340 | 11.92 times | 60 | 1.17 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | $354,310 | $46,570 | 7.61 times | 160 | 0.32 |
| Evansville, IN | $339,330 | $46,540 | 7.29 times | 40 | 0.23 |
| Midland, TX | $389,330 | $54,480 | 7.15 times | 100 | 0.64 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $312,730 | $45,220 | 6.92 times | 50 | 0.23 |
| Rockford, IL | $323,030 | $47,120 | 6.86 times | 90 | 0.48 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $329,030 | $49,990 | 6.58 times | 740 | 0.41 |
| Wilmington, NC | $298,730 | $45,800 | 6.52 times | 30 | 0.14 |
| Rapid City, SD | $301,420 | $46,270 | 6.51 times | 70 | 0.7 |
| Springfield, IL | $338,570 | $52,670 | 6.43 times | 80 | 0.57 |
| Richmond, VA | $326,160 | $51,460 | 6.34 times | 820 | 0.94 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $388,060 | $61,470 | 6.31 times | 480 | 0.91 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $344,960 | $54,720 | 6.30 times | 3,610 | 0.61 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $381,330 | $60,720 | 6.28 times | 140 | 0.32 |
| Jackson, MI | $298,440 | $47,760 | 6.25 times | 60 | 0.87 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $320,060 | $51,440 | 6.22 times | 2,580 | 0.49 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $375,810 | $60,690 | 6.19 times | 690 | 0.43 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | $310,740 | $50,700 | 6.13 times | 70 | 0.51 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $335,900 | $55,380 | 6.07 times | 260 | 0.9 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $297,350 | $49,430 | 6.02 times | 530 | 0.53 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $273,710 | $46,380 | 5.90 times | 80 | 0.22 |
| Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $282,170 | $47,970 | 5.88 times | 250 | 1.07 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | $285,300 | $48,510 | 5.88 times | 150 | 0.91 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $304,110 | $52,080 | 5.84 times | 2,070 | 0.83 |
Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.
Source: BLS OEWS BLS, May 2025, SOC 11-1011 and SOC 00-0000, matching metro areas. The ratio is our arithmetic on those published medians, not a BLS statistic.
Change since the prior BLS release
| Reference period | Median |
|---|---|
| May 2024 | $206,420 |
| May 2025 | $213,990 |
| Difference | +$7,570 (+3.7%) |
Two published BLS values, shown as released. Not annualized, not adjusted for inflation, and BLS metro boundaries and survey panels can differ between releases.
What is inside the BLS pay figure
For construction and commissioning hires, separate expense reimbursements and overtime from straight-time pay. Check a project bonus on its actual terms. Guaranteed pay and production incentives count in BLS wages; discretionary nonproduction bonuses do not.
| Component | In the BLS figure? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Base rate and guaranteed pay | Included | BLS counts the "base rate" and "guaranteed pay". |
| Production and incentive pay | Included | BLS counts "incentive pay including commissions and production bonuses". |
| On-call pay | Included | BLS lists "on-call pay" and "hazardous-duty pay" as wages. |
| Overtime pay matters here | Left out | BLS excludes "overtime pay". Straight-time pay only. |
| Shift differentials | Left out | BLS excludes "shift differentials", so night and weekend premiums are not in the figure. |
| Project-completion and discretionary bonuses matters here | Depends on the terms | Guaranteed pay and production incentives are included. Discretionary nonproduction bonuses are excluded. Check how the payment is defined. |
| Per diem, travel and relocation matters here | Left out | BLS does not name these as wages. They are expense reimbursements and are not in the figure. |
| Benefits and employer costs | Left out | BLS excludes "employer costs for supplementary benefits". |
Recruiter's read
Qualitative, not from BLS data.
Chief Operating Officer, Data Center candidates are usually screened on running construction, operations and supply chain at a platform; PE-backed scaling.
We usually find them through colos; developers; PE platforms. We contact working people directly rather than relying on job applications.
Questions
What is the median pay for Chief Operating Officer, Data Center?
The BLS median annual wage for Chief Executives nationally is $213,990 (BLS, May 2025).
What range do most Chief Operating Officer, Data Center earn?
Per BLS, the middle half earned $129,540 to $356,200, and 10% earned less than $75,700.
Is this the exact job title?
Chief Executives is a broader occupation based on the work described, not a separate data center wage series. BLS does not distinguish this title, experience level, shift, credentials or data center employers. Confirm the actual duties before using this comparison.
How many people are employed in this occupation?
BLS estimates 204,350 jobs nationally in Chief Executives across all industries.
What do BLS wages leave out?
They leave out overtime, shift differentials, discretionary bonus, benefits, per diem and relocation. Base pay, guaranteed pay, on-call pay and production-based incentive pay are included.
Hiring Market Brief
A one-page brief for Chief Operating Officer, Data Center: BLS pay, mapping and caveats.
Hiring Chief Operating Officer, Data Center?
Pay is one input. Scope, license and travel decide whether the person says yes.
Related
What the published rows say about Chief Operating Officer, Data Center pay in the United States
Chief Operating Officer, Data Center pay in the United States is represented here by Chief Executives, SOC 11-1011, in the May 2025 OEWS release. For Chief Operating Officer, Data Center pay in the United States, data Center Headhunters uses the broader crosswalk for this title; the occupation row, rather than a separate survey of Chief Operating Officer, Data Center, supplies the figures on this page. For Chief Operating Officer, Data Center pay in the United States, the published annual median is $213,990 and the middle-half endpoints are $129,540 and $356,200.
The Chief Operating Officer, Data Center pay in the United States middle-half band spans $226,660 on the annual basis. For Chief Operating Officer, Data Center pay in the United States, its lower quarter-to-median distance is $84,450, compared with $142,210 from the median to the upper quarter. For Chief Operating Officer, Data Center pay in the United States, the upper interval is at least as wide as the other interval in this row. For Chief Operating Officer, Data Center pay in the United States, for an offer against this Chief Operating Officer, Data Center crosswalk, these are published reference points, not experience grades; the width does not establish a reason for differences between individual workers.
Chief Operating Officer, Data Center pay in the United States can also be compared with Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, where the annual median for Chief Executives is $234,290 in May 2025. For Chief Operating Officer, Data Center pay in the United States, this comparison metro is selected by published occupation employment, not by a national geographic distance. For Chief Operating Officer, Data Center pay in the United States, the Chief Operating Officer, Data Center crosswalk comparison differs by $20,300 from the the United States median.
Chief Operating Officer, Data Center pay in the United States can also be compared with New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, where the annual median for Chief Executives is $301,440 in May 2025. For Chief Operating Officer, Data Center pay in the United States, this comparison metro is selected by published occupation employment, not by a national geographic distance. For Chief Operating Officer, Data Center pay in the United States, the Chief Operating Officer, Data Center crosswalk comparison differs by $87,450 from the the United States median.
Chief Operating Officer, Data Center pay in the United States has no local industry-by-occupation wage breakdown in the loaded OEWS rows. For Chief Operating Officer, Data Center pay in the United States, the highest published national industry medians loaded for SOC 11-1011 are Rail Transportation at $667,600 and Rail Transportation at $667,600. For Chief Operating Officer, Data Center pay in the United States, these May 2025 observations describe the national Chief Executives occupation in those industries, not the pay of data center employers in the United States; they cannot support a local industry ranking.
The Chief Operating Officer, Data Center pay in the United States matched median changed from $206,420 in May 2024 to $213,990 in May 2025, a difference of $7,570 up. For Chief Operating Officer, Data Center pay in the United States, both observations use SOC 11-1011, area code 99 and the same annual wage basis. For Chief Operating Officer, Data Center pay in the United States, this Chief Operating Officer, Data Center comparison reports the released values without adjusting for inflation, annualizing the change or attributing it to a particular employer.
Chief Operating Officer, Data Center pay in the United States uses the OEWS straight-time wage definition, not a complete cost-to-employ budget. For Chief Operating Officer, Data Center pay in the United States, for an offer mapped to Chief Executives, separate overtime, shift differentials and expense reimbursements from the annual figures for the United States; BLS excludes those categories. For Chief Operating Officer, Data Center pay in the United States, on-call pay, guaranteed pay and production incentives are included under the wage definition. For Chief Operating Officer, Data Center pay in the United States, no Chief Operating Officer, Data Center-specific per diem, travel allowance or relocation amount is observed in this row, so this May 2025 page adds no dollar allowance on top.
Questions about Chief Operating Officer, Data Center pay in the United States
Which BLS row supports Chief Operating Officer, Data Center pay in the United States?
Chief Operating Officer, Data Center is mapped to SOC 11-1011, Chief Executives; the May 2025 the United States annual median is $213,990. The mapping is broader, not a separate survey of this niche title.
Does the the United States figure show all offer costs for Chief Operating Officer, Data Center?
Chief Operating Officer, Data Center pay in the United States uses straight-time OEWS wages. Overtime and shift differentials are excluded; on-call and guaranteed pay are included. No allowance for travel or relocation is added to this 11-1011 observation.
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- methodology
Nearest-area selection uses Census Gazetteer internal points, not road distance. Source: 2025 Census Gazetteer.