Executive director vs associate director

The differences between executive directors and associate directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an executive director has an average salary of $127,956, which is higher than the $114,223 average annual salary of an associate director.

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

Executive director vs associate director overview

	Executive Director	Associate Director
Yearly salary	$127,956	$114,223
Hourly rate	$61.52	$54.91
Growth rate	-8%	8%
Number of jobs	97,471	72,370
Job satisfaction	4.5	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average age	49	47
Years of experience	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 associate director do?

An associate director oversees the daily activities and business operations within a particular area. They are primarily responsible for devising strategies that aim for growth in profit and customer satisfaction, implementing policies and standards, evaluate the workforce, providing support to various departments, and setting goals in terms of budget and sales. Furthermore, they must regularly report progress to the director and coordinate with managers and supervisors in the joint effort to reach the vision and mission of the company.

Executive director vs associate director salary

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

	Executive Director	Associate Director
Average salary	$127,956	$114,223
Salary range	Between $76,000 And $213,000	Between $79,000 And $164,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	South San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New York	New Jersey
Best paying company	Genentech	Legalmatch.com
Best paying industry	Finance	Pharmaceutical

Differences between executive director and associate director education

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

	Executive Director	Associate Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Executive director vs associate director demographics

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

	Executive Director	Associate Director
Average age	49	47
Gender ratio	Male, 47.0% Female, 53.0%	Male, 52.0% Female, 48.0%
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, 7.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between executive director and associate 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.

Associate director example responsibilities.

Lead implementation of OPPE and FPPE for TJC.
Manage accounting, weekly reports, local contacts, and maintenance of sets, props, and costumes.
Manage all aspects of music ministry - including arranging all music for schedule services special programs and events.
Manage departmental training schedules, work schedules and CPSI electronic medical record (EMR), certifications and competencies.
Manage web development and rebranding initiative.
Create a coordinate university social media committee quadrupling engagement during campaigns and achieving a national twitter trend during commencement.

Executive director vs associate director skills

Common executive director skills

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

Common associate director skills

Patients, 11%
Healthcare, 8%
Project Management, 6%
Oversight, 6%
Portfolio, 6%
Excellent Interpersonal, 5%

Executive Director vs. similar jobs

Executive Director related careers

Executive Director related jobs

Executive Director jobs by location

Zippia Careers
Office and Administrative Industry
Executive Director
Executive Director vs Associate Director

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs