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The differences between directors of economic development and chiefs of staff can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a director of economic development, becoming a chief of staff takes usually requires More than 10 years. Additionally, a chief of staff has an average salary of $130,835, which is higher than the $107,578 average annual salary of a director of economic development.
The top three skills for a director of economic development include business development, project management and real estate. The most important skills for a chief of staff are PET, team support, and project management.
| Director Of Economic Development | Chief Of Staff | |
| Yearly salary | $107,578 | $130,835 |
| Hourly rate | $51.72 | $62.90 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 55,938 | 124,272 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 42 | 52 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
An economic development director develops and spearheads the implementation of economic development programs in a city. They usually work for the city government, although there are some who work for private companies. It is their responsibility to perform market research and analysis, developing strategies to help the city in building positive relationships with businesses and potential economic partners. Moreover, as an economic development director, they are also responsible for managing and directing staff, encouraging them to reach project goals while implementing policies and standards.
A chief of staff primarily supports an executive through performing various administrative tasks. Most of their responsibilities revolve around collaborating with other executive support personnel to devise strategies that will help the company, responding to inquiries and correspondence, approving communications letters, managing schedules, setting appointments, and serving as an advisor to the executive. Furthermore, when it comes to issues and disputes, the chief of staff must be quick to conduct research and perform damage control to help the executive and the company rise from the occasion.
Directors of economic development and chiefs of staff have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Director Of Economic Development | Chief Of Staff | |
| Average salary | $107,578 | $130,835 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $180,000 | Between $85,000 And $200,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | AstraZeneca | Lyft |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a director of economic development and a chief of staff in terms of educational background:
| Director Of Economic Development | Chief Of Staff | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between directors of economic development' and chiefs of staff' demographics:
| Director Of Economic Development | Chief Of Staff | |
| Average age | 42 | 52 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 64.1% Female, 35.9% | Male, 62.0% Female, 38.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 12% |