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The differences between program officers and program administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a program officer, becoming a program administrator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a program officer has an average salary of $79,553, which is higher than the $50,715 average annual salary of a program administrator.
The top three skills for a program officer include project management, program management and excellent interpersonal. The most important skills for a program administrator are customer service, oversight, and patients.
| Program Officer | Program Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $79,553 | $50,715 |
| Hourly rate | $38.25 | $24.38 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 118,383 | 119,898 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
A program officer is an essential part of a foundation or charitable organization. It is up to program officers to supervise program progress and proposals, seek grants, manage projects, and oversee budgets. They generally guarantee that an organization's activities and programs are met with the vision and mission statements of that foundation. It is the program officer's responsibility to complete various tasks in completing the demands of this position. Moreover, their job includes developing their staff, implementation, and daily management of activities.
Program administrators are responsible for planning, directing, and coordinating their organization's program or service. Their duties and responsibilities may vary depending on the industry they work at, such as educational, community, and social services. Among these duties are selecting and supervising the staff to manage a certain program or project, managing the program's budget, and evaluating the success of a program. To become successful in this role, a program administrator must have in-depth knowledge of project management disciplines, leadership skills, and decision-making and problem-solving skills.
Program officers and program administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Program Officer | Program Administrator | |
| Average salary | $79,553 | $50,715 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $117,000 | Between $34,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | BNP Paribas | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Government |
There are a few differences between a program officer and a program administrator in terms of educational background:
| Program Officer | Program Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between program officers' and program administrators' demographics:
| Program Officer | Program Administrator | |
| Average age | 45 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.1% Female, 52.9% | Male, 30.6% Female, 69.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 14.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 13.4% Asian, 5.0% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 8.8% White, 64.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 14% | 9% |