Chief operating officer vs executive director of operations

The differences between chief operating officers and executive directors of operations 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 an executive director of operations takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a chief operating officer has an average salary of $136,604, which is higher than the $131,945 average annual salary of an executive director of operations.

The top three skills for a chief operating officer include healthcare, customer service and oversight. The most important skills for an executive director of operations are operations management, customer satisfaction, and financial management.

Chief operating officer vs executive director of operations overview

	Chief Operating Officer	Executive Director Of Operations
Yearly salary	$136,604	$131,945
Hourly rate	$65.67	$63.44
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	128,993	194,783
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
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 an executive director of operations do?

Executive Directors of Operations are top management employees of a nonprofit. They manage the whole operations of the company. They set annual strategic goals to bring the company closer to its vision. They oversee all of the company's programs and ensure that these programs are in line with the company's vision and mission. They also ensure that the partnerships formed with other organizations remain strong. As leaders, they are expected to motivate and inspire the employees to work well together. Executive Directors of Operations represent the company in external events, industry functions, and other activities.

Chief operating officer vs executive director of operations salary

Chief operating officers and executive directors of operations have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Chief Operating Officer	Executive Director Of Operations
Average salary	$136,604	$131,945
Salary range	Between $81,000 And $229,000	Between $85,000 And $203,000
Highest paying City	Jersey City, NJ	Hartford, CT
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Connecticut
Best paying company	Baker McKenzie	Billings Clinic
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Finance

Differences between chief operating officer and executive director of operations education

There are a few differences between a chief operating officer and an executive director of operations in terms of educational background:

	Chief Operating Officer	Executive Director Of Operations
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Chief operating officer vs executive director of operations demographics

Here are the differences between chief operating officers' and executive directors of operations' demographics:

	Chief Operating Officer	Executive Director Of Operations
Average age	52	44
Gender ratio	Male, 76.6% Female, 23.4%	Male, 64.1% Female, 35.9%
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, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	12%	10%

Differences between chief operating officer and executive director of operations 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.

Executive director of operations example responsibilities.

Finance and billing accountability across Medicaid, manage care commercial insurance, insurance verification, contract management, and benefits administration.
Design, implementation and parental oversight of local operational policies and processes.
Assure high-level supply chain management for distribution logistics purposes and direct clientele relations.
Advance to increasingly responsible positions, culminating in management role with oversight of company operations.
Direct $2.4 billion facility with over 1,200 associates to administer effective technology distribution and third-party logistics functions.
Develop numerous tactics, techniques and procedures necessary for the successful employment of reconnaissance aircraft supporting military combat forces.

Chief operating officer vs executive director of operations skills

Common chief operating officer skills

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

Common executive director of operations skills

Operations Management, 13%
Customer Satisfaction, 8%
Financial Management, 8%
Oversight, 7%
Medicare, 7%
Home Health, 6%

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Chief Operating Officer vs Executive Director Of Operations

Updated January 8, 2025

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