Post job

What is a founder and chief executive officer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

A founder is an entrepreneur who launches a company, often, as a co-founder in collaboration with other partners. He/She or she secures resources to get a business off the ground, build the team, find the right products or services to offer, and create a solid network of clients.

A Chief Executive Officer, or CEO, is the highest-ranking executive manager in a company who reports to the board of senior directors, usually working alongside a number of other executives. They delegate tasks and oversee all operations in the organization, coaching employees, and making sure all circumstances are in place for them to do their best.

Sometimes, founder and CEO happen to be the same person, but the position of a founder does not come with any specific tasks to fill the role. A founder will always be the founder of the company, while the role of the CEO can be filled by other people from time to time. Whatever the case, good CEOs will always be realistic dreamers with excellent communication skills and have a leader's strong charisma. They will always be eager to learn and listen, take risks, and be flexible in their management styles.

ScoreFounder And Chief Executive OfficerUS Average
Salary
9.5

Avg. Salary $171,886

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
10.0

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
1.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.64%

Asian 7.49%

Black or African American 3.68%

Hispanic or Latino 7.58%

Unknown 3.88%

White 76.73%

Gender

female 26.75%

male 73.25%

Age - 52
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 52
Stress level
10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.0

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Founder and chief executive officer career paths

Key steps to become a founder and chief executive officer

  1. Explore founder and chief executive officer education requirements

    Most common founder and chief executive officer degrees

    Bachelor's

    65.0 %

    Master's

    19.3 %

    Associate

    7.4 %
  2. Start to develop specific founder and chief executive officer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Web Design17.53%
    Financial Statements8.16%
    Business Strategy6.97%
    R6.48%
    Business Plan5.81%
  3. Research founder and chief executive officer duties and responsibilities

    • Manage company expense and payroll accounts, purchase and deliver materials to job-sites, and business administrative services simultaneously.
    • Experience writing SQL queries, store procedures, views, and reports.
    • Founder of LLC youth recreation and sports development organization that provides recreation and sports training and opportunities.
    • Introduce the new UNIX windows interfaces and report generator at various conventions and meetings around the country.
  4. Get founder and chief executive officer experience

    Generally, it takes more than 10 years to become a founder and chief executive officer. The most common roles before becoming a founder and chief executive officer include internship, vice president team lead and consultant.
  5. Prepare your founder and chief executive officer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your founder and chief executive officer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a founder and chief executive officer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable founder and chief executive officer resume templates

    Build a professional founder and chief executive officer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your founder and chief executive officer resume.
    Founder And Chief Executive Officer Resume
    Founder And Chief Executive Officer Resume
    Founder And Chief Executive Officer Resume
    Founder And Chief Executive Officer Resume
    Founder And Chief Executive Officer Resume
    Founder And Chief Executive Officer Resume
    Founder And Chief Executive Officer Resume
    Founder And Chief Executive Officer Resume
    Founder And Chief Executive Officer Resume
    Founder And Chief Executive Officer Resume
    Founder And Chief Executive Officer Resume
    Founder And Chief Executive Officer Resume
    Founder And Chief Executive Officer Resume
    Founder And Chief Executive Officer Resume
    Founder And Chief Executive Officer Resume
    Founder And Chief Executive Officer Resume
  6. Apply for founder and chief executive officer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a founder and chief executive officer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first founder and chief executive officer job

Zippi

Are you a founder and chief executive officer?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average founder and chief executive officer salary

The average founder and chief executive officer salary in the United States is $171,886 per year or $83 per hour. Founder and chief executive officer salaries range between $107,000 and $275,000 per year.

Average founder and chief executive officer salary
$171,886 Yearly
$82.64 hourly

What am I worth?

salary-calculator

How do founder and chief executive officers rate their job?

4/5

Based on 1 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Founder and chief executive officer reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2022
Cons

I am responsible for everything be it any side of the business


profile
4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019
Pros

I enjoy being able to use my creative experience along with my social and cultural Anthropology background to help other businesses and start ups with their goals and objectives to create a successful company or product. I also like having the freedom to work for myself and have a better carrer direction and flexible scheduling.

Cons

It can be difficult to navigate through the ever changing market and competition as an independently owned business. I also have to spend a lot of time learning/teaching myself things that I need to know but could be spending my time on what i do best if I worked for another company such as web development and coding.


Working as a founder and chief executive officer? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall rating*
Career growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse executive management jobs