Executive director vs assistant executive director

The differences between executive directors and assistant executive directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an executive director and an assistant executive director. Additionally, an executive director has an average salary of $127,956, which is higher than the $67,525 average annual salary of an assistant executive director.

The top three skills for an executive director include oversight, patients and customer service. The most important skills for an assistant executive director are customer service, healthcare, and oversight.

Executive director vs assistant executive director overview

	Executive Director	Assistant Executive Director
Yearly salary	$127,956	$67,525
Hourly rate	$61.52	$32.46
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	97,471	92,321
Job satisfaction	4.5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	4	4

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.

What does an assistant executive director do?

An Assistant Executive Director helps the director in planning and monitoring the progress of the department. They ensure compliance with regulations and internal policies, participate in budgeting and monitoring expenses, and create reports and submit them to the director.

Executive director vs assistant executive director salary

Executive directors and assistant executive directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Executive Director	Assistant Executive Director
Average salary	$127,956	$67,525
Salary range	Between $76,000 And $213,000	Between $36,000 And $124,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	-
Highest paying state	New York	-
Best paying company	Genentech	-
Best paying industry	Finance	-

Differences between executive director and assistant executive director education

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

	Executive Director	Assistant Executive Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Executive director vs assistant executive director demographics

Here are the differences between executive directors' and assistant executive directors' demographics:

	Executive Director	Assistant Executive Director
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 47.0% Female, 53.0%	Male, 40.2% Female, 59.8%
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, 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	10%	10%

Differences between executive director and assistant executive director duties and responsibilities

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.

Assistant executive director example responsibilities.

Work in collaboration with hospital departments for achieving a seamless healthcare service delivery system.
Establish and develop relationships with ERP and consulting vendors with the goal of maximizing comparative advantage and cost efficient solution development.
Lead facility through clearing of DHSS and CMS issues.
Secure funding, and position network agencies for changes in healthcare environment.
Monitor cardiac monitors for all monitor patients.
Computerize payroll and quality assurance of staff records.

Executive director vs assistant executive director skills

Common executive director skills

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

Common assistant executive director skills

Customer Service, 13%
Healthcare, 12%
Oversight, 7%
Nursing Home, 6%
State Regulations, 4%
Memory Care, 4%

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Executive Director vs Assistant Executive Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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