Executive director demographics and statistics in the US
Executive director demographics research summary. Zippia estimates executive director demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our executive director estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about executive directors after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 50,303 executive directors currently employed in the United States.
- 53.0% of all executive directors are women, while 47.0% are men.
- The average executive director age is 49 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of executive directors is White (71.0%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (11.2%), Black or African American (7.6%) and Asian (5.0%).
- Executive directors are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- New York, NY pays an annual average wage of $150,937, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women executive directors earned 103% of what men earned.
- Connecticut is the best state for executive directors to live.
- Executive directors are 51% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Executive director demographics by:
Executive director gender statistics
53.0% of executive directors are women and 47.0% of executive directors are men.
- Female, 53.0%
- Male, 47.0%
Executive director gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 53.0% |
| Male | 47.0% |
Executive director gender pay gap
Women earn $1.03 for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$127,740
Female income
$131,429
Executive director gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in executive director positions over time. Currently, 53.0% of executive directors are female.
Executive director gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 43.01% | 56.99% |
| 2011 | 41.94% | 58.06% |
| 2012 | 44.42% | 55.58% |
| 2013 | 43.92% | 56.08% |
| 2014 | 45.10% | 54.90% |
| 2015 | 47.62% | 52.38% |
| 2016 | 47.34% | 52.66% |
| 2017 | 49.79% | 50.21% |
| 2018 | 51.64% | 48.36% |
| 2019 | 43.02% | 56.98% |
| 2020 | 51.99% | 48.01% |
| 2021 | 47.02% | 52.98% |
Executive director related jobs gender ratio
We compared executive directors with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, administrative assistant engineering and assistant operator have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Escrow Secretary | 3% | 97% |
| Placement Secretary | 3% | 97% |
| Administrative Assistant/Secretary/Receptionist | 4% | 96% |
| Executive Director | 47% | 53% |
| Information Technology Assistant | 67% | 33% |
| Assistant Operator | 77% | 23% |
| Administrative Assistant Engineering | 78% | 22% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Executive director demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among executive directors is White, which makes up 71.0% of all executive directors. Comparatively, 11.2% of executive directors are Hispanic or Latino and 7.6% of executive directors are Black or African American.
- White, 71.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 11.2%
- Black or African American, 7.6%
- Asian, 5.0%
- Unknown, 4.8%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
Executive director race
| Executive director race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 71.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 11.2% |
| Black or African American | 7.6% |
| Asian | 5.0% |
| Unknown | 4.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.4% |
Executive director race and ethnicity over time
See how executive director racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Executive director race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 79.50% | 7.11% | 2.71% | 8.70% |
| 2011 | 79.31% | 7.38% | 2.60% | 8.67% |
| 2012 | 79.00% | 7.38% | 2.68% | 8.76% |
| 2013 | 79.06% | 7.00% | 2.88% | 8.94% |
| 2014 | 78.72% | 7.12% | 2.85% | 9.25% |
| 2015 | 78.19% | 7.12% | 2.86% | 9.72% |
| 2016 | 77.49% | 6.99% | 3.21% | 10.05% |
| 2017 | 77.56% | 6.73% | 2.97% | 10.46% |
| 2018 | 75.18% | 7.54% | 4.55% | 9.66% |
| 2019 | 75.53% | 7.13% | 4.62% | 10.36% |
| 2020 | 71.97% | 7.39% | 4.40% | 11.45% |
| 2021 | 70.97% | 7.62% | 5.00% | 11.22% |
Executive director wage gap by race
According to our data, asian executive directors have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. White executive directors have the lowest average salary at $123,136.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $127,800 |
| White | $123,136 |
| Black or African American | $123,543 |
| Asian | $138,185 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $126,601 |
Average executive director age
See how the average age of executive directors varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Executive director age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 43 | |
| White | 43 | 52 |
| Black or African American | 51 | |
| Asian | 43 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 46.5 | 48.5 |
Executive director age breakdown
The average age of executive directors is 40+ years years old, representing 76% of the executive director population.
Executive director age breakdown
| Executive Director Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 76% |
| 30-40 years | 20% |
| 20-30 years | 5% |
Executive director educational attainment
The most common degree for executive directors is bachelor's degree, with 63% of executive directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 22% and master's degree degree at 8%.
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Master's, 22%
- Associate, 8%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 3%
Executive directors by degree level
| Executive director degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 63% |
| Master's | 22% |
| Associate | 8% |
| Doctorate | 4% |
| Other Degrees | 3% |
Executive director jobs you might like
Executive director wage gap by degree level
According to the data, executive directors with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $135,989 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, executive directors earn a median annual income of $135,406 compared to $124,658 for executive directors with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $135,989 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $121,843 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $135,406 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $124,658 |
Executive director employment statistics
Most executive directors work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where executive directors work
Below, you can see the size of companies where executive directors work.
Executive director jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 6% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 18% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 17% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 6% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 27% |
| > 10,000 employees | 25% |
Executive director jobs by company type
Employees with the executive director job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most executive directors prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Executive director jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 16% |
| Public | 22% |
| Private | 51% |
| Government | 11% |
Executive director jobs by industry
The most common industries for executive directors are health care, non profits and education.
Executive director industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 20% |
| Non Profits | 13% |
| Education | 12% |
| Fortune 500 | 9% |
| Government | 7% |
| Professional | 7% |
| Finance | 5% |
| Media | 4% |
| Technology | 4% |
| Hospitality | 3% |
| Manufacturing | 3% |
| Retail | 3% |
| Pharmaceutical | 2% |
| Telecommunication | 2% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
Executive director turnover and employment statistics
Executive director unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for executive directors between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Executive director unemployment rate by year
| Year | Executive director unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 7.58% |
| 2011 | 7.01% |
| 2012 | 5.80% |
| 2013 | 5.28% |
| 2014 | 4.11% |
| 2015 | 3.32% |
| 2016 | 2.98% |
| 2017 | 2.93% |
| 2018 | 2.48% |
| 2019 | 2.19% |
| 2020 | 3.60% |
| 2021 | 5.15% |
Average executive director tenure
The average executive director stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 61,715 executive directors resumes in Zippia's database.
Executive director tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 9% |
| 1-2 years | 33% |
| 3-4 years | 19% |
| 5-7 years | 18% |
| 8-10 years | 8% |
| 11+ years | 15% |
Executive director LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of executive directors 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Showroom Assistant | 5.70% | 26,114 |
| Clinical Secretary | 9.17% | 113,707 |
| Executive Director | 10.06% | - |
| Legal Administrative Secretary | 14.76% | 44,735 |
Similar executive director jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Showroom Assistant | 5.70% | 26,114 |
| Clinical Secretary | 9.17% | 113,707 |
| Legal Administrative Secretary | 14.76% | 44,735 |
Foreign languages spoken by executive directors
The most common foreign language among executive directors is Spanish at 51.3%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 13.5% and German is the third-most popular at 5.4%.
- Spanish, 51.3%
- French, 13.5%
- German, 5.4%
- Portuguese, 5.1%
- Italian, 4.2%
- Other, 20.5%
Executive director languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 51.3% |
| French | 13.5% |
| German | 5.4% |
| Portuguese | 5.1% |
| Italian | 4.2% |
| Other | 20.5% |
