Executive administrator vs program administrator

The differences between executive administrators and program administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an executive administrator, becoming a program administrator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an executive administrator has an average salary of $52,855, which is higher than the $50,715 average annual salary of a program administrator.

The top three skills for an executive administrator include powerpoint, customer service and expense reports. The most important skills for a program administrator are customer service, oversight, and patients.

Executive administrator vs program administrator overview

	Executive Administrator	Program Administrator
Yearly salary	$52,855	$50,715
Hourly rate	$25.41	$24.38
Growth rate	-8%	5%
Number of jobs	141,235	119,898
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	49	43
Years of experience	4	2

What does an executive administrator do?

An executive administrator is responsible for assisting the senior management staff in planning strategies and analyzing business decisions to achieve the company's goals and objectives. Executive administrators schedule meetings and handle appointments, as well as helping with the implementation of training and programs for the employees to reach their maximum operational potential and increase productivity to meet projects' demands and ensure the highest customer satisfaction. They must have exceptional time-management and organizational skills, especially on performing administrative and clerical duties as needed, as well as excellent communication skills to respond to clients' inquiries, concerns, and requests.

What does a program administrator do?

Program administrators are responsible for planning, directing, and coordinating their organization's program or service. Their duties and responsibilities may vary depending on the industry they work at, such as educational, community, and social services. Among these duties are selecting and supervising the staff to manage a certain program or project, managing the program's budget, and evaluating the success of a program. To become successful in this role, a program administrator must have in-depth knowledge of project management disciplines, leadership skills, and decision-making and problem-solving skills.

Executive administrator vs program administrator salary

Executive administrators and program administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Executive Administrator	Program Administrator
Average salary	$52,855	$50,715
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $77,000	Between $34,000 And $73,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Urban Honolulu, HI
Highest paying state	New York	Hawaii
Best paying company	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	Meta
Best paying industry	Technology	Government

Differences between executive administrator and program administrator education

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

	Executive Administrator	Program Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Western Carolina University	Stanford University

Executive administrator vs program administrator demographics

Here are the differences between executive administrators' and program administrators' demographics:

	Executive Administrator	Program Administrator
Average age	49	43
Gender ratio	Male, 14.8% Female, 85.2%	Male, 30.6% Female, 69.4%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 8.8% White, 64.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	10%	9%

Differences between executive administrator and program administrator duties and responsibilities

Executive administrator example responsibilities.

Manage grant funding from NIH, HRSA, and private foundations.
Manage on-site nursing services deliver to patients; oversee billing and supervise on-site personnel.
Manage day-to-day human resource functions: maintain HRIS database, conduct new employee orientation, and benefits administration.
Manage 200 staff personnel (145 FTE's), consisting of 15 classifications, two unions and exempt personnel.
Develop twitter marketing landing pages, manage and maintain social marketing sites, blogs, and constant contact marketing efforts.
Achieve JCAHO accreditation for ambulatory care facilities.

Program administrator example responsibilities.

Manage monetary, laptop and training supports for members living with HIV.
Manage overall document inventory and wiki updates via SharePoint.
Manage CRM and SharePoint systems for online recruiting technology company.
Manage co-op vendor and provide overall program direction for Toyota dealers and regional offices nationwide.
Develop and implement administrative procedures for new mental health management unit providing day services to elderly patients.
Invoice clients using QuickBooks software.

Executive administrator vs program administrator skills

Common executive administrator skills

PowerPoint, 10%
Customer Service, 9%
Expense Reports, 7%
Office Procedures, 6%
Payroll, 5%
Data Entry, 5%

Common program administrator skills

Customer Service, 7%
Oversight, 7%
Patients, 6%
Project Management, 6%
PowerPoint, 4%
Client Facing, 4%

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Executive Administrator
Executive Administrator vs Program Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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