Government contractor vs private sector executive

The differences between government contractors and private sector executives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a government contractor, becoming a private sector executive takes usually requires More than 10 years. Additionally, a private sector executive has an average salary of $101,637, which is higher than the $76,972 average annual salary of a government contractor.

The top three skills for a government contractor include cost accounting standards, financial statements and security clearance. The most important skills for a private sector executive are financial statements, business plan, and private sector development.

Government contractor vs private sector executive overview

	Government Contractor	Private Sector Executive
Yearly salary	$76,972	$101,637
Hourly rate	$37.01	$48.86
Growth rate	8%	6%
Number of jobs	27,738	68,658
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age	46	52
Years of experience	8	-

Government contractor vs private sector executive salary

Government contractors and private sector executives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Government Contractor	Private Sector Executive
Average salary	$76,972	$101,637
Salary range	Between $49,000 And $118,000	Between $50,000 And $204,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	Watson Laboratories
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between government contractor and private sector executive education

There are a few differences between a government contractor and a private sector executive in terms of educational background:

	Government Contractor	Private Sector Executive
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	University of Pennsylvania

Government contractor vs private sector executive demographics

Here are the differences between government contractors' and private sector executives' demographics:

	Government Contractor	Private Sector Executive
Average age	46	52
Gender ratio	Male, 54.6% Female, 45.4%	Male, 62.8% Female, 37.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 2.9% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 7.5% White, 76.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	4%	12%

Differences between government contractor and private sector executive duties and responsibilities

Government contractor example responsibilities.

Lead data migration effort from an unsecure network to an IRS secure network.
Manage and process a conversion of manual time keeping of jobs to an electronic system within Deltek.
Manage all logistics of shipping sensitive information, software and laptops to destinations overseas.
Identify and lead multiple self-identify audit issues on application portfolio management, password security and separation of duties.
Assist with the Govenor and Lt.
State of Nevada, EPA, etc . )

Private sector executive example responsibilities.

Lead international donor efforts to promote investment and reform the regulatory environment for business registration, taxation, permitting and inspection.
Perform market research analysis/comparison/trends/consultation for current and prospective clients /weekly PowerPoint presentations Accomplishments/Rewards.
Act as a liaison between FEMA departments, delivering important information to ensure a common operating picture.
Spearhead company's rebranding initiative - as part of UK governmental utility privatization program.

Government contractor vs private sector executive skills

Common government contractor skills

Cost Accounting Standards, 11%
Financial Statements, 9%
Security Clearance, 6%
Logistics, 6%
Payroll, 5%
DOD, 4%

Common private sector executive skills

Financial Statements, 41%
Business Plan, 26%
Private Sector Development, 22%
Business Development, 5%
Public Sector, 5%

Government Contractor vs. similar jobs

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Government Contractor vs Private Sector Executive

Updated January 8, 2025

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