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The differences between general directors and executive directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a general director and an executive director. Additionally, an executive director has an average salary of $127,956, which is higher than the $109,550 average annual salary of a general director.
The top three skills for a general director include digital marketing, SEO and lead generation. The most important skills for an executive director are oversight, patients, and customer service.
| General Director | Executive Director | |
| Yearly salary | $109,550 | $127,956 |
| Hourly rate | $52.67 | $61.52 |
| Growth rate | 6% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 74,664 | 97,471 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 48 | 49 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A general director is required to oversee all the business operations of their company, including its financial performance and investments. Part of a general director's job is to supervise executives and delegate work to them. They may also be required to assess problematic situations and developments and resolve them. Moreover, they must ensure that their company is constantly moving towards both its long-term and short-term goals.
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.
General directors and executive directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| General Director | Executive Director | |
| Average salary | $109,550 | $127,956 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $172,000 | Between $76,000 And $213,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sunnyvale, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Regeneron | Genentech |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Finance |
There are a few differences between a general director and an executive director in terms of educational background:
| General Director | Executive Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between general directors' and executive directors' demographics:
| General Director | Executive Director | |
| Average age | 48 | 49 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.1% Female, 28.9% | Male, 47.0% Female, 53.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.9% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 2.7% White, 76.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 17% | 10% |