What is a President & Chief Operating Officer?

Management teams are composed of different individuals who oversee the performance of the department they lead. One may oversee finance, while another may oversee marketing or human resources, or legal processes. One member may handle information technology, while another may be assigned to oversee the overall operations. Sometimes, one member of the team may have dual roles, such as being both the president and the chief operating officer.

Presidents and chief operating officers are high-ranking officials in a company, if not the highest-ranking. They run the whole company and are in charge of the execution of the company's strategic plans. They also make crucial company decisions and set directives. In addition, they manage the operations side of the business. They create plans to improve operations efficiency and ensure that these plans are implemented.

If you have high business acumen, a strategic mindset, and leadership capabilities, you might be born to lead companies. Just make sure you persevere and make connections with the right people.

What Does a President & Chief Operating Officer Do

There are certain skills that many president & chief operating officers have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed leadership skills, management skills and problem-solving skills.

Learn more about what a President & Chief Operating Officer does

How To Become a President & Chief Operating Officer

If you're interested in becoming a president & chief operating officer, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 69.0% of president & chief operating officers have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 20.1% of president & chief operating officers have master's degrees. Even though most president & chief operating officers have a college degree, it's impossible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

Learn More About How To Become a President & Chief Operating Officer
Top President & Chief Operating Officer Jobs Near You

President & Chief Operating Officer Career Paths

In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of managing director you might progress to a role such as chief operating officer eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title chief operating officer.

President & Chief Operating Officer

Top Careers Before President & Chief Operating Officer

Vice President(119,530 Jobs)
14.1 %
Senior Vice President(61,380 Jobs)
9.1 %
President(49,413 Jobs)
7.1 %

Top Careers After President & Chief Operating Officer

President/Chief Executive Officer(163,378 Jobs)
14.4 %
President(49,413 Jobs)
11.4 %
Chief Operating Officer(128,993 Jobs)
8.6 %

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Average Salary for a President & Chief Operating Officer

President & Chief Operating Officers in America make an average salary of $211,982 per year or $102 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $391,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $114,000 per year.
Average President & Chief Operating Officer Salary
$211,982 Yearly
$101.91 hourly
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What Am I Worth?

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Roles and Types of President & Chief Operating Officer

The role of a president & chief operating officer includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general president & chief operating officer responsibilities:

  • Drive and help identify opportunities to achieve full adherence to allocated budget & head count targets, including the adherence to the potential benefit targets of gwcds opsaccountable for execution
  • Leadership work under the direction of the ceo to help shape
  • While the ultimate responsibilities of the first vice president

There are several types of president & chief operating officer, including:

Vice President

Role:

A vice president of a company keeps watch over all of the internal operations. They work to build strong customer relationships while also staying focused on the financial goals at hand.

The average vice president spends a lot of time at work. I mean, we're talking, a lot of time, like upwards of 65-80 hours a week. Since the majority of the company falls into your hands, you'll likely spend a lot of that time making sure everything is running as efficiently as it can.

As a vice president, it's easy to assume you've have a lot of experience in your field. In addition to experience, it's likely you have also earned at least a bachelor's degree, if not a master's degree as well.

  • Average Salary: $158,637
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Chief Finance Officer

Role:

Taking it all the way to the top. As a chief finance office, you may not be the CEO, but you're pretty far up there. In fact, you're so far up the chain of command that you're in charge of all of the company's financial actions. That's a job with a lot of responsibility.

As the CFO, you get to follow the company's cash flow and spend some time doing financial planning to ensure everyone is staying on budget. You may even get to allocate some funds to an under-budgeted department. But the biggest part of your job is identifying any weaknesses or strengths that the company has when it comes to the green stuff.

As the CFO, you can't be someone who just says "yes" all of the time. You have to have a keen mind when it comes to budgeting because you don't want to be the cause of the company going bankrupt. So you'll have to say "no" from time to time. But you'll survive.

  • Average Salary: $143,947
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Managing Director

Role:

Managing director controls and directs the operations of the company. He/She takes orders from the board in line with the mission and objectives of the company. As a Managing director, you will make sure that well-trained and developed staff are recruited to increase the company's output. Likewise, you will prepare a good business plan for the company and make sure you monitor the progress of these plans to ensure the company achieves its objectives effectively and efficiently. Therefore, you will relate the reports to the board and give strategic advice to make them know the developments within the company.

A proven successful record in senior management, preferably in the industry or related industry, is a needed requirement for the post. Required skills for the post of the managing director include excellent organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills. Since the managing director is in charge of the company, he/she will need excellent communication skills and a wide knowledge of the company. With this, you can earn $160,351 on an average per year.
  • Average Salary: $129,690
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree
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States With The Most President & Chief Operating Officer Jobs

Mouse over a state to see the number of active president & chief operating officer jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where president & chief operating officers earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of President & Chief Operating Officer Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1New York4,691$189,159
2California4,457$191,288
3Texas4,428$175,530
4Illinois3,043$167,159
5Massachusetts2,580$190,100
6Pennsylvania2,372$164,691
7New Jersey2,258$193,583
8Georgia2,204$177,927
9North Carolina2,086$166,629
10Florida1,875$164,919
11Ohio1,789$180,440
12Minnesota1,548$177,165
13Washington1,481$191,035
14Arizona1,462$173,478
15Maryland1,334$185,659
16Colorado1,280$171,736
17Michigan1,227$182,690
18Tennessee1,100$169,937
19Virginia1,086$192,251
20Indiana1,046$154,412
21Missouri980$166,561
22Wisconsin958$164,913
23Oregon910$170,851
24Connecticut753$185,530
25South Carolina745$161,949
26Alabama645$166,821
27Iowa605$152,690
28Kentucky528$151,232
29Nevada507$197,519
30Oklahoma503$150,841
31Louisiana497$170,412
32Kansas469$144,132
33Arkansas451$153,541
34Idaho421$144,900
35Nebraska409$166,840
36New Mexico367$178,750
37Mississippi345$121,323
38Utah330$154,716
39New Hampshire317$167,149
40Rhode Island298$177,883
41Maine262$140,901
42Delaware215$193,530
43West Virginia204$167,237
44South Dakota181$152,795
45North Dakota179$165,469
46Vermont159$165,142
47Montana105$151,829
48Alaska81$185,724
49Hawaii60$190,407
50Wyoming56$152,023

President & Chief Operating Officer Education

President & Chief Operating Officer Majors

Business
34.7 %
Accounting
9.4 %
Finance
8.6 %

President & Chief Operating Officer Degrees

Bachelors

69.0 %

Masters

20.1 %

Associate

5.3 %

Top Colleges for President & Chief Operating Officers

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Finance
Business
Economics
Political Science
Computer Science

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-State Tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Economics
Psychology
Computer Science
Mechanical Engineering

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Computer Science
Electrical Engineering
Accounting
Economics

4. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-State Tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Economics
Electrical Engineering
Accounting
Psychology

5. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Economics
Accounting
Psychology
Computer Science
Business

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Mechanical Engineering
Economics
Electrical Engineering
Communication
Political Science

7. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Accounting
Finance
Business
Marketing
Communication

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Education
Political Science
Business
Computer Science
Economics

9. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Finance
Mechanical Engineering
Computer Science
Business
Accounting

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Accounting
Economics
Finance
Psychology
Mechanical Engineering

Top Skills For a President & Chief Operating Officer

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 11.4% of president & chief operating officers listed financial performance on their resume, but soft skills such as leadership skills and management skills are important as well.

Choose From 10+ Customizable President & Chief Operating Officer Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use President & Chief Operating Officer templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your President & Chief Operating Officer resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

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President & Chief Operating Officer Resume
President & Chief Operating Officer Resume
President & Chief Operating Officer Resume
President & Chief Operating Officer Resume
President & Chief Operating Officer Resume

President & Chief Operating Officer Demographics

President & Chief Operating Officer Gender Distribution

Male
Male
86%
Female
Female
14%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among president & chief operating officers, 13.9% of them are women, while 86.1% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among president & chief operating officers is White, which makes up 76.1% of all president & chief operating officers.

  • The most common foreign language among president & chief operating officers is Spanish at 36.8%.

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Best States For a President & Chief Operating Officer

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a president & chief operating officer. The best states for people in this position are Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware, and Virginia. President & chief operating officers make the most in Nevada with an average salary of $197,519. Whereas in New Jersey and Delaware, they would average $193,583 and $193,530, respectively. While president & chief operating officers would only make an average of $192,251 in Virginia, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.

1. Nevada

Total President & Chief Operating Officer Jobs: 507
Highest 10% Earn:
$278,000
Location Quotient:
1.23

$197,519

Avg. Salary

View 507 President & Chief Operating Officer Jobs In NV

2. New Jersey

Total President & Chief Operating Officer Jobs: 2,258
Highest 10% Earn:
$275,000
Location Quotient:
1.44

$193,583

Avg. Salary

View 2,258 President & Chief Operating Officer Jobs In NJ

3. Massachusetts

Total President & Chief Operating Officer Jobs: 2,580
Highest 10% Earn:
$272,000
Location Quotient:
1.42

$190,100

Avg. Salary

View 2,580 President & Chief Operating Officer Jobs In MA
Full List Of Best States For President & Chief Operating Officers

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Top President & Chief Operating Officer Employers

Most Common Employers For President & Chief Operating Officer

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1Citi$266,889$128.313
2XCEL$256,627$123.385
3CSC Holdings LLC$248,681$119.565
4AIG$245,235$117.903
5State Street$243,584$117.114
6GTE Corporation$241,024$115.884
7Morgan Stanley$241,003$115.877
8Liberty Bank$239,739$115.263
9Cleantech San Diego$235,111$113.033
10Marshall Retail Group/InMotion$234,702$112.845
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President & Chief Operating Officer Videos

Career Advice on becoming a Chief Operating Officer by Rob S (Full Version)
Fireside Chat With John F. Milligan, PhD, President and Chief Operating Officer, Gilead Sciences
Edward L. Monser, President and Chief Operating Officer of Emerson

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Updated February 6, 2023