Chief operating officer demographics and statistics in the US
Chief operating officer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates chief operating officer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our chief operating officer estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about chief operating officers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 74,376 chief operating officers currently employed in the United States.
- 23.4% of all chief operating officers are women, while 76.6% are men.
- The average chief operating officer age is 51 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of chief operating officers is White (76.8%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (7.5%), Asian (7.5%) and Unknown (3.9%).
- Chief operating officers are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- The manufacturing industry is the highest-paying for chief operating officers.
- 12% of all chief operating officers are LGBT.
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Chief operating officer demographics by:
Chief operating officer gender statistics
23.4% of chief operating officers are women and 76.6% of chief operating officers are men.
- Male, 76.6%
- Female, 23.4%
Chief operating officer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 76.6% |
| Female | 23.4% |
Chief operating officer gender pay gap
Women earn 89¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$128,575
Female income
$113,985
Chief operating officer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in chief operating officer positions over time. Currently, 23.4% of chief operating officers are female.
Chief operating officer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 82.27% | 17.73% |
| 2011 | 82.11% | 17.89% |
| 2012 | 81.56% | 18.44% |
| 2013 | 80.51% | 19.49% |
| 2014 | 80.08% | 19.92% |
| 2015 | 79.86% | 20.14% |
| 2016 | 79.38% | 20.62% |
| 2017 | 79.67% | 20.33% |
| 2018 | 79.54% | 20.46% |
| 2019 | 77.45% | 22.55% |
| 2020 | 76.56% | 23.44% |
| 2021 | 76.57% | 23.43% |
Chief operating officer related jobs gender ratio
We compared chief operating officers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, district commercial superintendent and street superintendent have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant To General Manager | 9% | 91% |
| Manager Stylist | 9% | 91% |
| Salon Manager | 12% | 88% |
| Chief Operating Officer | 77% | 23% |
| General Superintendent | 97% | 3% |
| Street Superintendent | 97% | 3% |
| District Commercial Superintendent | 98% | 2% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Chief operating officer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among chief operating officers is White, which makes up 76.8% of all chief operating officers. Comparatively, 7.5% of chief operating officers are Hispanic or Latino and 7.5% of chief operating officers are Asian.
- White, 76.8%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.5%
- Asian, 7.5%
- Unknown, 3.9%
- Black or African American, 3.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
Chief operating officer race
| Chief operating officer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 76.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.5% |
| Asian | 7.5% |
| Unknown | 3.9% |
| Black or African American | 3.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
Chief operating officer race and ethnicity over time
See how chief operating officer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Chief operating officer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 83.33% | 3.27% | 5.61% | 6.02% |
| 2011 | 83.52% | 3.67% | 5.23% | 5.62% |
| 2012 | 82.76% | 3.60% | 5.78% | 6.09% |
| 2013 | 83.02% | 3.40% | 5.88% | 5.83% |
| 2014 | 83.05% | 3.54% | 5.52% | 6.15% |
| 2015 | 83.00% | 3.40% | 5.50% | 6.15% |
| 2016 | 82.65% | 3.31% | 6.07% | 5.98% |
| 2017 | 81.29% | 3.47% | 6.61% | 6.56% |
| 2018 | 80.79% | 3.31% | 6.81% | 6.86% |
| 2019 | 81.92% | 3.02% | 6.55% | 6.63% |
| 2020 | 78.54% | 3.50% | 7.01% | 6.95% |
| 2021 | 76.79% | 3.67% | 7.47% | 7.55% |
Chief operating officer wage gap by race
According to our data, white chief operating officers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american chief operating officers have the lowest average salary at $124,094.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $126,525 |
| White | $132,672 |
| Black or African American | $124,094 |
| Asian | $131,616 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $128,165 |
Average chief operating officer age
See how the average age of chief operating officers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Chief operating officer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 53 | 52 |
| Unknown | 51 | 49 |
| Asian | 49 | 48 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 50 | 46 |
| White | 53 | 52 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 52 | 48 |
Chief operating officer age breakdown
The average age of chief operating officers is 40+ years years old, representing 89% of the chief operating officer population.
Chief operating officer age breakdown
| Chief Operating Officer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 89% |
| 30-40 years | 11% |
| 20-30 years | 0% |
Chief operating officer educational attainment
The most common degree for chief operating officers is bachelor's degree, with 65% of chief operating officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 21% and master's degree degree at 7%.
- Bachelor's, 65%
- Master's, 21%
- Associate, 7%
- Doctorate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Chief operating officers by degree level
| Chief operating officer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 65% |
| Master's | 21% |
| Associate | 7% |
| Doctorate | 3% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Chief operating officer jobs you might like
Chief operating officer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, chief operating officers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $157,397 annually. With a Doctorate degree, chief operating officers earn a median annual income of $157,373 compared to $143,913 for chief operating officers with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $157,397 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $143,913 |
| Doctorate Degree | $157,373 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $110,402 |
Chief operating officer employment statistics
Most chief operating officers work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where chief operating officers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where chief operating officers work.
Chief operating officer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 7% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 21% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 22% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 15% |
| > 10,000 employees | 26% |
Chief operating officer jobs by company type
Employees with the chief operating officer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most chief operating officers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Chief operating officer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 3% |
| Public | 24% |
| Private | 68% |
| Government | 5% |
Chief operating officer jobs by industry
The most common industries for chief operating officers are health care, professional and finance.
Chief operating officer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 14% |
| Finance | 11% |
| Professional | 11% |
| Technology | 10% |
| Fortune 500 | 10% |
| Hospitality | 6% |
| Manufacturing | 5% |
| Government | 4% |
| Retail | 4% |
| Start-up | 4% |
| Non Profits | 3% |
| Education | 3% |
| Media | 2% |
| Transportation | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Insurance | 2% |
| Real Estate | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
Chief operating officer turnover and employment statistics
Chief operating officer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for chief operating officers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Chief operating officer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Chief operating officer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 4.37% |
| 2011 | 3.53% |
| 2012 | 3.04% |
| 2013 | 2.67% |
| 2014 | 2.12% |
| 2015 | 1.80% |
| 2016 | 1.98% |
| 2017 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | 1.65% |
| 2019 | 1.72% |
| 2020 | 2.10% |
| 2021 | 2.06% |
Average chief operating officer tenure
The average chief operating officer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 26,911 chief operating officers resumes in Zippia's database.
Chief operating officer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 8% |
| 1-2 years | 33% |
| 3-4 years | 18% |
| 5-7 years | 18% |
| 8-10 years | 8% |
| 11+ years | 15% |
Chief operating officer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of chief operating officers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance Director | 7.93% | 65,496 |
| Security Manager | 8.41% | 51,717 |
| Account Development Manager | 9.38% | 214,004 |
| Integrated Logistics Operations Manager | 9.63% | 227,631 |
| Chief Operating Officer | 11.54% | - |
| Human Resources Generalist/Manager | 13.02% | 46,682 |
| Advertising Manager | 14.95% | 43,083 |
Similar chief operating officer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance Director | 7.93% | 65,496 |
| Security Manager | 8.41% | 51,717 |
| Account Development Manager | 9.38% | 214,004 |
| Integrated Logistics Operations Manager | 9.63% | 227,631 |
| Human Resources Generalist/Manager | 13.02% | 46,682 |
| Advertising Manager | 14.95% | 43,083 |
Foreign languages spoken by chief operating officers
The most common foreign language among chief operating officers is Spanish at 40.4%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 13.9% and German is the third-most popular at 8.5%.
- Spanish, 40.4%
- French, 13.9%
- German, 8.5%
- Chinese, 5.2%
- Mandarin, 4.9%
- Other, 27.1%
Chief operating officer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 40.4% |
| French | 13.9% |
| German | 8.5% |
| Chinese | 5.2% |
| Mandarin | 4.9% |
| Other | 27.1% |
