Corporate director vs managing director

The differences between corporate directors and managing directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a corporate director, becoming a managing director takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a corporate director has an average salary of $154,906, which is higher than the $129,690 average annual salary of a managing director.

The top three skills for a corporate director include project management, oversight and customer service. The most important skills for a managing director are healthcare, portfolio, and business development.

Corporate director vs managing director overview

	Corporate Director	Managing Director
Yearly salary	$154,906	$129,690
Hourly rate	$74.47	$62.35
Growth rate	5%	6%
Number of jobs	66,254	81,022
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age	46	44
Years of experience	8	6

What does a corporate director do?

A corporate director is a business individual who is an elected or appointed member of the board of directors that directs or manages a corporation. Corporate directors are responsible for making decisions regarding the supervision of the entire enterprise as well as their products and services. They are in control of others' property and are liable to both their individual and joint actions. Corporate directors are also bound by the duty to act within the scope of their authority and must exercise due care in the performance of their corporate tasks.

What does a managing director do?

A Managing Director oversees workflow and progress, making sure that all operations align within the company or organization's mission or set of goals. They are responsible for crafting strategies, devising effective business plans, and executing guidelines that would nurture a company's growth, and as well as to be the driving force that would direct employees to the company's objectives. Furthermore, a Managing Director must coordinate with those in a higher position, such as the members of the board.

Corporate director vs managing director salary

Corporate directors and managing directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Corporate Director	Managing Director
Average salary	$154,906	$129,690
Salary range	Between $102,000 And $233,000	Between $72,000 And $233,000
Highest paying City	Beaverton, OR	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Oregon	New York
Best paying company	AbbVie	Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
Best paying industry	Finance	Finance

Differences between corporate director and managing director education

There are a few differences between a corporate director and a managing director in terms of educational background:

	Corporate Director	Managing Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	University of Pennsylvania

Corporate director vs managing director demographics

Here are the differences between corporate directors' and managing directors' demographics:

	Corporate Director	Managing Director
Average age	46	44
Gender ratio	Male, 66.4% Female, 33.6%	Male, 73.5% Female, 26.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	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	7%	10%

Differences between corporate director and managing director duties and responsibilities

Corporate director example responsibilities.

Lead corporate governance and compliance functions and manage securities law and relate issues for ESOP (employee-own) enterprise.
Manage RFP for selection of new benefit consultants.
Manage the RFP development and review process through to vendor selection and contract finalization.
Manage accounting staff to provide accurate financial close in compliance with all internal control and SOX requirements.
Manage EHS compliance for a large-scale construction company specializing in smokestack construction.
Manage activities of divisional quality representatives for compliance to ISO 9001 and quality initiatives.

Managing director example responsibilities.

Create and manage the social media presence via a festival page on Facebook.
Manage all consulting resources and have overall P/L responsibilities for the Atlanta office.
Manage the lessee and lessor relationships regarding exchange seat leases with major markets, such as NYSE, AMEX, CBOE.
Manage denials and expedite managed care appeals (reimbursement reconsideration).
Manage payroll processing for thousands of industrial temporary workers and bill respective clients.
Manage the Ketera SaaS relationship for IBM with engagement development and profitability responsibilities.

Corporate director vs managing director skills

Common corporate director skills

Project Management, 7%
Oversight, 7%
Customer Service, 6%
Financial Statements, 5%
Patients, 5%
Business Development, 4%

Common managing director skills

Healthcare, 7%
Portfolio, 7%
Business Development, 6%
Oversight, 6%
Project Management, 5%
Customer Service, 5%

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Corporate Director
Corporate Director vs Managing Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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