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The differences between executive directors and chiefs of staff 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 director, becoming a chief of staff takes usually requires More than 10 years. Additionally, a chief of staff has an average salary of $130,835, which is higher than the $127,956 average annual salary of an executive director.
The top three skills for an executive director include oversight, patients and customer service. The most important skills for a chief of staff are PET, team support, and project management.
| Executive Director | Chief Of Staff | |
| Yearly salary | $127,956 | $130,835 |
| Hourly rate | $61.52 | $62.90 |
| Growth rate | -8% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 97,471 | 124,272 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 49 | 52 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
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.
A chief of staff primarily supports an executive through performing various administrative tasks. Most of their responsibilities revolve around collaborating with other executive support personnel to devise strategies that will help the company, responding to inquiries and correspondence, approving communications letters, managing schedules, setting appointments, and serving as an advisor to the executive. Furthermore, when it comes to issues and disputes, the chief of staff must be quick to conduct research and perform damage control to help the executive and the company rise from the occasion.
Executive directors and chiefs of staff have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Executive Director | Chief Of Staff | |
| Average salary | $127,956 | $130,835 |
| Salary range | Between $76,000 And $213,000 | Between $85,000 And $200,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Genentech | Lyft |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Start-up |
There are a few differences between an executive director and a chief of staff in terms of educational background:
| Executive Director | Chief Of Staff | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between executive directors' and chiefs of staff' demographics:
| Executive Director | Chief Of Staff | |
| Average age | 49 | 52 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.0% Female, 53.0% | Male, 62.0% Female, 38.0% |
| 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, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 7.8% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 12% |