Private sector executive vs executive director

The differences between private sector executives and executive directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes More than 10 years to become a private sector executive, 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 $101,637 average annual salary of a private sector executive.

The top three skills for a private sector executive include financial statements, business plan and private sector development. The most important skills for an executive director are oversight, patients, and customer service.

Private sector executive vs executive director overview

	Private Sector Executive	Executive Director
Yearly salary	$101,637	$127,956
Hourly rate	$48.86	$61.52
Growth rate	6%	-8%
Number of jobs	68,658	97,471
Job satisfaction	-	4.5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	52	49
Years of experience	-	4

Private sector executive vs executive director salary

Private sector executives and executive directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Private Sector Executive	Executive Director
Average salary	$101,637	$127,956
Salary range	Between $50,000 And $204,000	Between $76,000 And $213,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	New York, NY
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	Watson Laboratories	Genentech
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between private sector executive and executive director education

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

	Private Sector Executive	Executive Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Private sector executive vs executive director demographics

Here are the differences between private sector executives' and executive directors' demographics:

	Private Sector Executive	Executive Director
Average age	52	49
Gender ratio	Male, 62.8% Female, 37.2%	Male, 47.0% Female, 53.0%
Race ratio	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%	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	12%	10%

Differences between private sector executive and executive director duties and responsibilities

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.

Executive director example responsibilities.

Manage 10 department heads who supervise a staff of 350 FTE's.
Develop and manage sales teams to assure the highest ROI on the client's investment.
Create and manage a call center for lead programs to support the prospecting activity needs of the FSR.
Freelance blogging to increase website views and ultimately to turn organic content into leads and ROI for small businesses.
Market and manage group and individual insurance programs including health, life, disability, long term care and annuities.
Major accomplishment are to achieve initial NAEYC accreditation.

Private sector executive vs executive director skills

Common private sector executive skills

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

Common executive director skills

Oversight, 10%
Patients, 9%
Customer Service, 5%
Financial Management, 5%
Business Development, 4%
Home Health, 4%

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Private Sector Executive vs Executive Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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