Chief operating officer vs chief strategy officer

The differences between chief operating officers and chief strategy officers 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 chief operating officer, becoming a chief strategy officer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a chief strategy officer has an average salary of $163,192, which is higher than the $136,604 average annual salary of a chief operating officer.

The top three skills for a chief operating officer include healthcare, customer service and oversight. The most important skills for a chief strategy officer are business development, CSO, and strategic vision.

Chief operating officer vs chief strategy officer overview

	Chief Operating Officer	Chief Strategy Officer
Yearly salary	$136,604	$163,192
Hourly rate	$65.67	$78.46
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	128,993	93,147
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	52	44
Years of experience	-	6

What does a chief operating officer do?

A chief operating officer, also known as a COO, is a high-ranking official who oversees a company or organization's daily administrative and overall operations. They are typically the second in the chain of command, reporting directly to the company's chief executive officer, also known as a CEO. Among their duties include developing strategies and guidelines, reviewing reports, performing assessments, and implementing the company's policies, standards, and regulations. Additionally, they lead and empower staff to reach goals, helping solve issues and concerns when any arise.

What does a chief strategy officer do?

A chief strategy officer or chief strategist is an executive leader in an organization responsible for assisting the chief executive officer with communicating, developing, and sustaining business corporate strategic initiatives and the company's overall goals. This is a senior executive role and a big responsibility for holding the top strategy part. They focus on implementing a company's strategy, both internally and externally. They ensure to communicate to all employees, business partners, suppliers, and contractors to know the importance of a company-wide strategic plan.

Chief operating officer vs chief strategy officer salary

Chief operating officers and chief strategy officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Chief Operating Officer	Chief Strategy Officer
Average salary	$136,604	$163,192
Salary range	Between $81,000 And $229,000	Between $103,000 And $257,000
Highest paying City	Jersey City, NJ	Rochester, NY
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Alaska
Best paying company	Baker McKenzie	Norton Rose Fulbright
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Finance

Differences between chief operating officer and chief strategy officer education

There are a few differences between a chief operating officer and a chief strategy officer in terms of educational background:

	Chief Operating Officer	Chief Strategy Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Chief operating officer vs chief strategy officer demographics

Here are the differences between chief operating officers' and chief strategy officers' demographics:

	Chief Operating Officer	Chief Strategy Officer
Average age	52	44
Gender ratio	Male, 76.6% Female, 23.4%	Male, 78.6% Female, 21.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.5% Asian, 7.5% White, 76.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	12%	10%

Differences between chief operating officer and chief strategy officer duties and responsibilities

Chief operating officer example responsibilities.

Manage the RFP process and present investment packages to local and regional lenders to procure acquisition and long term debt financing.
Develop and integrate care services, achieve and maintain JCAHO accreditation.
Attain ISO registration, resulting in excellent documentation and adherence to operational and administrative process controls.
Manage the implementation of a new supply base global ERP system that reduce inventory and enable just-in-time delivery.
Establish, manage and coordinate activities of this start-up management company specializing in turning around trouble health insurance plans.
Manage all financial functions including controlling/accounting, board and regulatory reporting, treasury and cash management, and asset/liability management.

Chief strategy officer example responsibilities.

Establish and manage SLA process.
Manage PPC, SEM and affiliate marketing goals, objectives and strategies.
Lead rebranding and comprehensive redesign of website, print and booth assets.
Manage web content and social media guidelines in alignment with e-marketing strategy and SEM priorities.
Upgrade and manage organization VoIP phone system with 8x8 both internally and for remote employees through virtual desktop.
Manage creation of strategic business and marketing plans for B2B and B2C companies in various industries and markets.

Chief operating officer vs chief strategy officer skills

Common chief operating officer skills

Healthcare, 11%
Customer Service, 8%
Oversight, 7%
Financial Management, 7%
Business Strategies, 6%
Human Resources, 6%

Common chief strategy officer skills

Business Development, 10%
CSO, 8%
Strategic Vision, 7%
Brand Marketing, 6%
Business Plan, 5%
Strategy Development, 5%

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Chief Operating Officer vs Chief Strategy Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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