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The differences between national directors and executive directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a national director, becoming an executive director takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an executive director has an average salary of $127,956, which is higher than the $117,787 average annual salary of a national director.
The top three skills for a national director include project management, customer service and healthcare. The most important skills for an executive director are oversight, patients, and customer service.
| National Director | Executive Director | |
| Yearly salary | $117,787 | $127,956 |
| Hourly rate | $56.63 | $61.52 |
| Growth rate | 5% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 53,071 | 97,471 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 46 | 49 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 4 |
A national director is responsible for designing, developing, and implementing strategic plans for an organization. As the national director, you are expected to oversee the organization's day-to-day operations that include developing business plans and managing departments and staff. Other duties that you perform include evaluating the performance of employees, cultivating good relationships with other decision-makers and leaders, and implementing new strategies to increase profitability. As the national director, you are also responsible for directing and overseeing business development initiatives across the region.
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.
National directors and executive directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| National Director | Executive Director | |
| Average salary | $117,787 | $127,956 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $202,000 | Between $76,000 And $213,000 |
| Highest paying City | Portland, OR | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Vermont | New York |
| Best paying company | Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith | Genentech |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Finance |
There are a few differences between a national director and an executive director in terms of educational background:
| National Director | Executive Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between national directors' and executive directors' demographics:
| National Director | Executive Director | |
| Average age | 46 | 49 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.7% Female, 34.3% | Male, 47.0% Female, 53.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 7% | 10% |