How to hire an executive officer

How to hire an executive officer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step executive officer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an executive officer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new executive officer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an executive officer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an executive officer, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An executive officer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, executive officers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents executive officer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Executive Officer	Description	Hourly rate
   Executive Officer	Top executives devise strategies and policies to ensure that an organization meets its goals. They plan, direct, and coordinate operational activities of companies and organizations.	$19-64
   Vice President & General Manager	A vice president and general manager's role is to implement policies and regulations while overseeing the business operations. Typically, it is their primary responsibility to devise training programs that would produce more efficient workforce members, create new strategies to boost sales and customer satisfaction, and participate in budget and goals creation... Show more	$51-131
   Division Director	A division director is a professional who is responsible for managing team members and business operations that are assigned in his/her or her division to achieve the goals of a company. Division directors are required to evaluate division performance and ensure that the team's work complies with the company policies and procedures... Show more	$32-102

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Logistical Support
   • Oversight
   • Combat
   • Human Resources
   • Resource Management
   • Property Accountability
   • Direct Support
   • Risk Management
   • Executive Support
   • Professional Development
   • DOD
   • Administrative Functions
   • Maintenance Program
   • Platoon

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead a twenty-three memberplatoon and are second-in-command of the 134-man company.
   • Manage the overall compliance of the station to USMEPCOM regulations, inter-service de-confliction, and international VIP visitation.
   • Manage a $250K budget and a 50,000 square foot facility that provides training to over 500 sailors each year.
   • Manage all the administrative areas of a 140-man battery and the maintenance of vehicles and equipment value at $10M.
   • Manage the orderly progression of all incoming and outgoing correspondence and monitors wing, NAF, MAJOCM, and USAF suspenses.
   • Monitor managed finances and payroll.

   More executive officer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your executive officer job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An executive officer salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, executive officers' average salary in mississippi is 72% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level executive officers earn 70% less than senior-level executive officers.
   • Certifications. An executive officer with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an executive officer's salary.

   Average executive officer salary

   $74,745yearly

   $35.94 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level executive officer salary

   $41,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 11, 2026

   Average executive officer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$144,732	$70
   2	New York	$135,132	$65
   3	District of Columbia	$119,404	$57
   4	Virginia	$105,186	$51
   5	Pennsylvania	$95,317	$46
   6	Maryland	$89,029	$43
   7	Alaska	$72,965	$35
   8	Texas	$71,985	$35
   9	Georgia	$62,570	$30
   10	Iowa	$62,324	$30
   11	South Carolina	$61,507	$30
   12	Arkansas	$54,262	$26
   13	Kansas	$52,736	$25

   Average executive officer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Lloyds TSB Bank	$125,096	$60.14
   2	Pacific Architects and Engineers	$106,091	$51.01
   3	Cedars-Sinai	$104,742	$50.36	3
   4	The Office of the Chief Technology Officer	$102,224	$49.15
   5	Saxbys Coffee	$101,583	$48.84	20
   6	KBR	$97,707	$46.97	17
   7	Us Army Reserves	$94,776	$45.57	36
   8	Houston ISD Foundation	$94,338	$45.35	5
   9	SAE Towers	$90,715	$43.61
   10	Saint Francis Community Services Inc	$86,077	$41.38
   11	ManTech	$85,837	$41.27	16
   12	Columbia University in the City of New York	$83,382	$40.09	32
   13	Iowa State Association of Counties	$83,329	$40.06
   14	Superior Court Of California	$77,400	$37.21	1
   15	University of Alaska	$76,759	$36.90
   16	Farm Stores Franchising	$72,750	$34.98
   17	Tiffin University	$67,321	$32.37
   18	Iowa Department of Transportation	$59,168	$28.45
   19	Napa County, California	$54,935	$26.41	6
   20	SHASTA COUNTY	$54,241	$26.08	4

4. Writing an executive officer job description

   A job description for an executive officer role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an executive officer job description:

   Executive officer job description example

   Customer management and issue resolution
   
   * To deliver the best possible customer recovery and end-to-end issue resolution
   
   * To do that, agents are empowered and expected to think like owners
   
   Communication Skills
   Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) Ability to communicate correctly and clearly with all customers Excellent documentation skills Good comprehension skills - ability to clearly understand and state the issues customers present Ability to concentrate on customer's issues without distraction to resolution Good composition skills - ability to compose a grammatically correct, concise, and accurate written response Work successfully in a team environment as well as independently Customer Focus:Excellent customer service skills, including maintaining focus on the customer issue in a fast-paced environment Ability to empathize with and prioritize customer needs Demonstrates interpersonal skills with a diverse customer base Demonstrates conflict resolution, negotiation, and de-escalation skills Demonstrates ownership to resolve challenging customer issues, escalating when necessary Ability to determine customer needs and provide appropriate solutions Maintain regular and reliable attendance, including the daily schedule as assigned Flexible with the working schedule; may be expected to work weekends, holidays, and events Ability to work overtime as required by business most often occurring but not limited to in the weeks surrounding the Christmas holiday season.
   Problem-solving Skills
   Effective problem-solving skills including decision making, time management, and immediate prioritization of tasks as assigned Ability to approach problems logically and rationally Action oriented and self-disciplined Organized and detail-oriented Ability to maintain composure in highly escalated situations Qualified candidates will be comfortable in a multi-tasking, high-energy environment. They will be creative and analytical problem solvers with a passion for excellent customer service
   
   Qualifications Required
   Graduate of any 4-year course With 2 years of experience in the customer service industry (a previous assignment in the Globe campaign is preferred)
   
   Make Your Passion Part of Your Profession. Attracting the best and brightest Talents is pivotal to our success. If you are ready to share our purpose of Creating a Globe of Good, explore opportunities with us.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right executive officer for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your executive officer job on Zippia to find and recruit executive officer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting executive officers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new executive officer

   Once you have selected a candidate for the executive officer position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an executive officer?