Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between board members and executive directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes More than 10 years to become a board member, becoming an executive director takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an executive director has an average salary of $127,956, which is higher than the $70,751 average annual salary of a board member.
The top three skills for a board member include non-profit organization, financial statements and community outreach. The most important skills for an executive director are oversight, patients, and customer service.
| Board Member | Executive Director | |
| Yearly salary | $70,751 | $127,956 |
| Hourly rate | $34.01 | $61.52 |
| Growth rate | 6% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 7,581 | 97,471 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 52 | 49 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
Board members are fiduciaries of an organization leading it to its sustainable development. They are elected by its board of directors or its supervisory committee. They remain true to the mission and vision of the company whenever there are conflicts. Outstanding board members have good qualities like meeting participation, supportive attitude, anxious feeling to better serve the committee, and passion for any kind of cause. Being a board member improves business, and strategic acumen enhances confidence, and heightens skills in corporate governance.
Executive directors are top management employees who usually function as a chief executive officer. This role is usually seen in non-profit organizations. Executive directors provide strategic direction to the organization, and they ensure that the organization's goals are actualized. They provide guidance to the employees and ensure that the employees have the organization's advocacies at the center of every project or program. They oversee the policies of the organization and create strategies that will bring the organization's programs forward. Executive directors are also responsible for making crucial decisions for the betterment of the organization.
Board members and executive directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Board Member | Executive Director | |
| Average salary | $70,751 | $127,956 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $199,000 | Between $76,000 And $213,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | - | New York |
| Best paying company | - | Genentech |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between a board member and an executive director in terms of educational background:
| Board Member | Executive Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between board members' and executive directors' demographics:
| Board Member | Executive Director | |
| Average age | 52 | 49 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.3% Female, 53.7% | Male, 47.0% Female, 53.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 7.6% White, 76.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 5.0% White, 71.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 10% |