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The differences between chief operating officers and division 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 chief operating officer, becoming a division director takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a chief operating officer has an average salary of $136,604, which is higher than the $120,757 average annual salary of a division director.
The top three skills for a chief operating officer include healthcare, customer service and oversight. The most important skills for a division director are client relationships, business development, and customer service.
| Chief Operating Officer | Division Director | |
| Yearly salary | $136,604 | $120,757 |
| Hourly rate | $65.67 | $58.06 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 128,993 | 63,545 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 52 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
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.
A division director is an individual who is responsible for managing team members and business operations that are assigned in his/her or her division to achieve the goals of a company. Division directors are required to evaluate division performance and ensure that the team's work complies with the company policies and procedures. They must lead new business development efforts with customers or brokers and should work closely with legal to ensure the protection of the company's interest. Division directors also assist in employee recruitment and provide training to the team if there are skill gaps.
Chief operating officers and division directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chief Operating Officer | Division Director | |
| Average salary | $136,604 | $120,757 |
| Salary range | Between $81,000 And $229,000 | Between $68,000 And $213,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | Albany, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Baker McKenzie | Mayo Clinic |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Finance |
There are a few differences between a chief operating officer and a division director in terms of educational background:
| Chief Operating Officer | Division Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between chief operating officers' and division directors' demographics:
| Chief Operating Officer | Division Director | |
| Average age | 52 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.6% Female, 23.4% | Male, 61.7% Female, 38.3% |
| 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, 14.9% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 10% |