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The differences between chief knowledge officers and executive directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a chief knowledge officer, 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 $110,262 average annual salary of a chief knowledge officer.
The top three skills for a chief knowledge officer include patients, strategic plan and business development. The most important skills for an executive director are oversight, patients, and customer service.
| Chief Knowledge Officer | Executive Director | |
| Yearly salary | $110,262 | $127,956 |
| Hourly rate | $53.01 | $61.52 |
| Growth rate | 16% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 71,632 | 97,471 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 47 | 49 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 4 |
A Chief Knowledge Officer is responsible for overseeing an organization's overall operational processes and production practices and identifying areas of improvement to enhance efficiency and maximize productivity. Chief Knowledge Officers strategize project management procedures to promote the company's brand image to various market platforms and reach an extended target audience's extended scope. They also handle the budgeting and resource allocation to support business operations with the highest quality standards and specifications.
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.
Chief knowledge officers and executive directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chief Knowledge Officer | Executive Director | |
| Average salary | $110,262 | $127,956 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $180,000 | Between $76,000 And $213,000 |
| Highest paying City | Islip, NY | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | Genentech |
| Best paying industry | - | Finance |
There are a few differences between a chief knowledge officer and an executive director in terms of educational background:
| Chief Knowledge Officer | Executive Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between chief knowledge officers' and executive directors' demographics:
| Chief Knowledge Officer | Executive Director | |
| Average age | 47 | 49 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.9% Female, 40.1% | Male, 47.0% Female, 53.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 12.7% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 11% | 10% |