Risk manager vs risk management director

The differences between risk managers and risk management 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 risk manager, becoming a risk management director takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a risk management director has an average salary of $133,286, which is higher than the $116,072 average annual salary of a risk manager.

The top three skills for a risk manager include oversight, risk assessments and project management. The most important skills for a risk management director are oversight, risk assessments, and governance.

Risk manager vs risk management director overview

	Risk Manager	Risk Management Director
Yearly salary	$116,072	$133,286
Hourly rate	$55.80	$64.08
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	75,795	80,337
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	46	43
Years of experience	8	6

What does a risk manager do?

A risk manager is responsible for analyzing potential risks that may affect the organization's operations, reputation, and market credibility. Risk managers identify risk controls and discuss business contingency plans for unforeseen circumstances to prevent delays in operational services. They also develop compliance training and programs for all the employees to provide them the awareness of the safety and security regulations within the company premises. A risk manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills, especially on handling and investigating cases that might compromise the business stability and financial status.

What does a risk management director do?

A risk management director is responsible for ensuring the safety and security of all the people, assets, and processes across the organization. Risk management directors facilitate risk management programs to mitigate company risks that may affect the organization's reputation and stability. They coordinate with upper management to identify a strategic approach and strengthen risk management policies. A risk management director must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in writing and investigating incident reports and resolving internal escalations immediately and efficiently.

Risk manager vs risk management director salary

Risk managers and risk management directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Risk Manager	Risk Management Director
Average salary	$116,072	$133,286
Salary range	Between $84,000 And $160,000	Between $95,000 And $185,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	California	Vermont
Best paying company	Credit Karma	Conning
Best paying industry	Technology	Hospitality

Differences between risk manager and risk management director education

There are a few differences between a risk manager and a risk management director in terms of educational background:

	Risk Manager	Risk Management Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Risk manager vs risk management director demographics

Here are the differences between risk managers' and risk management directors' demographics:

	Risk Manager	Risk Management Director
Average age	46	43
Gender ratio	Male, 59.3% Female, 40.7%	Male, 59.4% Female, 40.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 10.1% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 10.0% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	11%	4%

Differences between risk manager and risk management director duties and responsibilities

Risk manager example responsibilities.

Lead team in addressing Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA, and SAS70 compliance and control mandates.
Develop procedures and policies to manage site implementation of successful JD Edwards ERP system.
Direct staff, manage A/R and reconciliations, petty cash disbursements and tracking of all incoming claims and payments.
Manage the loan loss receivables SAS data mart, document change initiatives, implement SAS coding changes and process ongoing updates.
Manage accounting procedures and general ledger reconciliations.
Lead SOX project planning and implementation, successfully implement the corporate governance policies and internal control framework.

Risk management director example responsibilities.

Manage budget process and ensure a positive ROI.
Manage all Sarbanes-Oxley, financial, internal and ad-hoc audit activities.
Manage Fujitsu-Siemens relationship for the Americas.
Enhance CRM analytics for managing consumer interactions during multi-channel service transactions.
Manage an establish insurance program, including super vision and oversight of safety management programs.
Manage customer expectations and assist customers and partners in understanding the required project steps and deliverables for a successful CRM implementation.

Risk manager vs risk management director skills

Common risk manager skills

Oversight, 10%
Risk Assessments, 6%
Project Management, 6%
Portfolio, 5%
Strong Analytical, 4%
Operational Risk, 4%

Common risk management director skills

Oversight, 11%
Risk Assessments, 8%
Governance, 8%
Risk Management, 7%
Project Management, 5%
Patient Safety, 4%

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Risk Manager
Risk Manager vs Risk Management Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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