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The differences between senior program officers and directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a senior program officer and a director. Additionally, a director has an average salary of $113,489, which is higher than the $100,469 average annual salary of a senior program officer.
The top three skills for a senior program officer include data analysis, global health and HR. The most important skills for a director are healthcare, customer service, and oversight.
| Senior Program Officer | Director | |
| Yearly salary | $100,469 | $113,489 |
| Hourly rate | $48.30 | $54.56 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 117,953 | 230,711 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Senior program officers are professionals who are responsible for supervising program development while working with grant recipients to ensure effective use of the organization's resources. These officers must coordinate with the grants administrator or office manager about initial screening and prioritizing of new proposals. They must represent the organization at conferences and community meetings to develop and maintain relationships with existing and prospective partners and stakeholders. Senior program officers must also provide training and coaching that supports the professional development of program associates.
Directors work in show business, whether in a film, a television show, or a theatre production. They are responsible for bringing the material to life. They work with the writers to get a clear vision of how the production should look. They lead the production team in planning for the production, identifying filming or rehearsing schedules, casting for roles, and other aspects that need to be decided upon. Directors provide direction to the actors to ensure that the actors understand their role and will be able to effectively convey emotions to the audience. They also manage all other crew members and communicate their expectations clearly so that everyone on the set is working towards one vision.
Senior program officers and directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Program Officer | Director | |
| Average salary | $100,469 | $113,489 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $146,000 | Between $66,000 And $192,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | Mayo Clinic |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Finance |
There are a few differences between a senior program officer and a director in terms of educational background:
| Senior Program Officer | Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Political Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between senior program officers' and directors' demographics:
| Senior Program Officer | Director | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.8% Female, 56.2% | Male, 53.2% Female, 46.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 14% | 14% |