Executive director vs center director

The differences between executive directors and center 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 a center director. Additionally, an executive director has an average salary of $127,956, which is higher than the $106,505 average annual salary of a center director.

The top three skills for an executive director include oversight, patients and customer service. The most important skills for a center director are customer service, oversight, and proficiency testing.

Executive director vs center director overview

	Executive Director	Center Director
Yearly salary	$127,956	$106,505
Hourly rate	$61.52	$51.20
Growth rate	-8%	8%
Number of jobs	97,471	62,348
Job satisfaction	4.5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	49	47
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 a center director do?

A center director is responsible for ensuring and maintaining the efficiency of child care facilities. Their role is to conduct various assessments, ensure that all aspects adhere to federal requirements, develop programs and supplemental activities in collaboration with child care experts, recruit and hire an efficient workforce, and train staff for professional development. Furthermore, a center director is also responsible for managing budgets, handling issues, meeting parents or guardians to discuss the scope of programs or any other concerns, and implementing policies and regulations.

Executive director vs center director salary

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

	Executive Director	Center Director
Average salary	$127,956	$106,505
Salary range	Between $76,000 And $213,000	Between $65,000 And $172,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Newark, DE
Highest paying state	New York	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Genentech	Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Best paying industry	Finance	-

Differences between executive director and center director education

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

	Executive Director	Center Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Executive director vs center director demographics

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

	Executive Director	Center Director
Average age	49	47
Gender ratio	Male, 47.0% Female, 53.0%	Male, 29.0% Female, 71.0%
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, 11.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 4.4% White, 64.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	10%	16%

Differences between executive director and center 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.

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Center director example responsibilities.

Manage programs provide by SDE, DMH, DHS.
Design, implement and manage day-to-day operation of the 21st CCLC grant support afterschool program.
Manage daily operations of NAEYC accredit childcare center.
Manage daily operation for a family-own business with responsibility for sales, production, and administrative functions including payroll.
Manage delivery of quality early childhood education programs by establishing an environment of learning and maintaining the integrity of the programs.
Lead a staff of 76 FTE's.

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Executive director vs center director skills

Common executive director skills

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

Common center director skills

Customer Service, 12%
Oversight, 8%
Proficiency Testing, 6%
Center Management, 6%
State Regulations, 6%
Federal Regulations, 6%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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