Public works director vs chief operating officer

The differences between public works directors and chief operating officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes More than 10 years to become both a public works director and a chief operating officer. Additionally, a chief operating officer has an average salary of $136,604, which is higher than the $88,965 average annual salary of a public works director.

The top three skills for a public works director include public works, infrastructure and building maintenance. The most important skills for a chief operating officer are healthcare, customer service, and oversight.

Public works director vs chief operating officer overview

	Public Works Director	Chief Operating Officer
Yearly salary	$88,965	$136,604
Hourly rate	$42.77	$65.67
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	14,361	128,993
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age	52	52
Years of experience	-	-

What does a public works director do?

Public Works Directors can expect an average salary of $70K per year in a career that will demand strong communication skills, planning, organizational, and problem-solving skills. Also, strong leadership will be a must for implementing and recommending alternative courses of action for administrative problems. This career choice requires a bachelor's degree in public administration, business administration, liberal arts, or law and presents responsibilities such as daily maintenance of a city's infrastructure services, such as sewer, sanitation, or street maintenance, as well as sanitary sewer operations.

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.

Public works director vs chief operating officer salary

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

	Public Works Director	Chief Operating Officer
Average salary	$88,965	$136,604
Salary range	Between $58,000 And $134,000	Between $81,000 And $229,000
Highest paying City	San Rafael, CA	Jersey City, NJ
Highest paying state	California	New Jersey
Best paying company	Icma-rc	Baker McKenzie
Best paying industry	Government	Manufacturing

Differences between public works director and chief operating officer education

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

	Public Works Director	Chief Operating Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common major	Civil Engineering	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Public works director vs chief operating officer demographics

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

	Public Works Director	Chief Operating Officer
Average age	52	52
Gender ratio	Male, 91.4% Female, 8.6%	Male, 76.6% Female, 23.4%
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, 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	12%	12%

Differences between public works director and chief operating officer duties and responsibilities

Public works director example responsibilities.

Manage key controls, CCTV, safety devices, and training activities.
Conceptualise, initiate & independently manage innovative after-school & lunch programs, and innovative successful school fundraiser.
Manage, delegate and perform facility repairs, apartment renovations, preventive maintenance and inventory control utilizing CMMS program for maintenance.
Provide management oversight of safety and training programs, ensure quality management certification and OSHA standards are maintain.
Complete all EPA require monthly testing.
Help with on air promotions and giveaways.

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.

Public works director vs chief operating officer skills

Common public works director skills

Public Works, 12%
Infrastructure, 10%
Building Maintenance, 8%
Oversight, 6%
Project Management, 6%
Storm Water, 4%

Common chief operating officer skills

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

Public Works Director vs. similar jobs

Public Works Director related careers

Public Works Director related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Executive Management Industry
Public Works Director
Public Works Director vs Chief Operating Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse executive management jobs