Managing director vs chief operating officer

The differences between managing directors and chief operating officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a managing director, becoming a chief operating officer takes usually requires More than 10 years. Additionally, a chief operating officer has an average salary of $136,604, which is higher than the $129,690 average annual salary of a managing director.

The top three skills for a managing director include healthcare, portfolio and business development. The most important skills for a chief operating officer are healthcare, customer service, and oversight.

Managing director vs chief operating officer overview

	Managing Director	Chief Operating Officer
Yearly salary	$129,690	$136,604
Hourly rate	$62.35	$65.67
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	81,022	128,993
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age	44	52
Years of experience	6	-

What does a managing director do?

A Managing Director oversees workflow and progress, making sure that all operations align within the company or organization's mission or set of goals. They are responsible for crafting strategies, devising effective business plans, and executing guidelines that would nurture a company's growth, and as well as to be the driving force that would direct employees to the company's objectives. Furthermore, a Managing Director must coordinate with those in a higher position, such as the members of the board.

What does a chief operating officer do?

A chief operating officer, also known as a COO, is a high-ranking official who oversees a company or organization's daily administrative and overall operations. They are typically the second in the chain of command, reporting directly to the company's chief executive officer, also known as a CEO. Among their duties include developing strategies and guidelines, reviewing reports, performing assessments, and implementing the company's policies, standards, and regulations. Additionally, they lead and empower staff to reach goals, helping solve issues and concerns when any arise.

Managing director vs chief operating officer salary

Managing directors and chief operating officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Managing Director	Chief Operating Officer
Average salary	$129,690	$136,604
Salary range	Between $72,000 And $233,000	Between $81,000 And $229,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Jersey City, NJ
Highest paying state	New York	New Jersey
Best paying company	Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison	Baker McKenzie
Best paying industry	Finance	Manufacturing

Differences between managing director and chief operating officer education

There are a few differences between a managing director and a chief operating officer in terms of educational background:

	Managing Director	Chief Operating Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Managing director vs chief operating officer demographics

Here are the differences between managing directors' and chief operating officers' demographics:

	Managing Director	Chief Operating Officer
Average age	44	52
Gender ratio	Male, 73.5% Female, 26.5%	Male, 76.6% Female, 23.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.5% Asian, 7.5% White, 76.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	10%	12%

Differences between managing director and chief operating officer duties and responsibilities

Managing director example responsibilities.

Create and manage the social media presence via a festival page on Facebook.
Manage all consulting resources and have overall P/L responsibilities for the Atlanta office.
Manage the lessee and lessor relationships regarding exchange seat leases with major markets, such as NYSE, AMEX, CBOE.
Manage denials and expedite managed care appeals (reimbursement reconsideration).
Manage payroll processing for thousands of industrial temporary workers and bill respective clients.
Manage the Ketera SaaS relationship for IBM with engagement development and profitability responsibilities.

Chief operating officer example responsibilities.

Manage the RFP process and present investment packages to local and regional lenders to procure acquisition and long term debt financing.
Develop and integrate care services, achieve and maintain JCAHO accreditation.
Attain ISO registration, resulting in excellent documentation and adherence to operational and administrative process controls.
Manage the implementation of a new supply base global ERP system that reduce inventory and enable just-in-time delivery.
Establish, manage and coordinate activities of this start-up management company specializing in turning around trouble health insurance plans.
Manage all financial functions including controlling/accounting, board and regulatory reporting, treasury and cash management, and asset/liability management.

Managing director vs chief operating officer skills

Common managing director skills

Healthcare, 7%
Portfolio, 7%
Business Development, 6%
Oversight, 6%
Project Management, 5%
Customer Service, 5%

Common chief operating officer skills

Healthcare, 11%
Customer Service, 8%
Oversight, 7%
Financial Management, 7%
Business Strategies, 6%
Human Resources, 6%

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Managing Director
Managing Director vs Chief Operating Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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