City administrator vs executive director

The differences between city administrators and executive 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 city administrator, 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 $64,965 average annual salary of a city administrator.

The top three skills for a city administrator include public works, local government and financial reports. The most important skills for an executive director are oversight, patients, and customer service.

City administrator vs executive director overview

	City Administrator	Executive Director
Yearly salary	$64,965	$127,956
Hourly rate	$31.23	$61.52
Growth rate	6%	-8%
Number of jobs	55,401	97,471
Job satisfaction	-	4.5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	52	49
Years of experience	-	4

What does a city administrator do?

A city administrator is a government employee who works under the authority and direction of the mayor. City administrators supervise, monitor, and coordinate the activities and functions of the office. The administrators make the plan and direction of the administrative activities of a certain city. They establish and enforce internal procedures and policies. Also, they evaluate the employees of the city and take actions for operation improvement.

What does an executive director do?

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.

City administrator vs executive director salary

City administrators and executive directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	City Administrator	Executive Director
Average salary	$64,965	$127,956
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $125,000	Between $76,000 And $213,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	New York, NY
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	Icma-rc	Genentech
Best paying industry	Government	Finance

Differences between city administrator and executive director education

There are a few differences between a city administrator and an executive director in terms of educational background:

	City Administrator	Executive Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

City administrator vs executive director demographics

Here are the differences between city administrators' and executive directors' demographics:

	City Administrator	Executive Director
Average age	52	49
Gender ratio	Male, 66.7% Female, 33.3%	Male, 47.0% Female, 53.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 7.8% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	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	12%	10%

Differences between city administrator and executive director duties and responsibilities

City administrator example responsibilities.

Maintain an ave. 35-40 A/R days and achieve finacials from red to black.
Provide day-to-day oversight of accounts receivables (tax collections and revenues).
Maximize customer satisfaction in rehabilitation therapy.
Serve as GIS coordinator between county and city offices.
Maximize customer satisfaction in rehabilitation therapy.

Executive director example responsibilities.

Manage 10 department heads who supervise a staff of 350 FTE's.
Develop and manage sales teams to assure the highest ROI on the client's investment.
Create and manage a call center for lead programs to support the prospecting activity needs of the FSR.
Freelance blogging to increase website views and ultimately to turn organic content into leads and ROI for small businesses.
Market and manage group and individual insurance programs including health, life, disability, long term care and annuities.
Major accomplishment are to achieve initial NAEYC accreditation.

City administrator vs executive director skills

Common city administrator skills

Public Works, 10%
Local Government, 8%
Financial Reports, 6%
Community Development, 6%
Municipal Government, 6%
Public Safety, 6%

Common executive director skills

Oversight, 10%
Patients, 9%
Customer Service, 5%
Financial Management, 5%
Business Development, 4%
Home Health, 4%

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City Administrator vs Executive Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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