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The differences between senior program officers and program 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 program director. Additionally, a senior program officer has an average salary of $100,469, which is higher than the $80,664 average annual salary of a program director.
The top three skills for a senior program officer include data analysis, global health and HR. The most important skills for a program director are oversight, social work, and patients.
| Senior Program Officer | Program Director | |
| Yearly salary | $100,469 | $80,664 |
| Hourly rate | $48.30 | $38.78 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 117,953 | 82,810 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| 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.
Program directors are employees who oversee all aspects of a specific program in the company. They usually work in nonprofit organizations or are assigned to a department doing corporate social responsibility activities. Program directors ensure that the program is in line with the company's goals. They also ensure that the resources assigned to the program are properly managed and that all finances are accounted for. They create strategies to ensure the success of the program and communicate these to everyone involved. They lead the implementation and evaluation of the program.
Senior program officers and program directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Program Officer | Program Director | |
| Average salary | $100,469 | $80,664 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $146,000 | Between $50,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Georgia |
| Best paying company | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | Mayo Clinic |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior program officer and a program director in terms of educational background:
| Senior Program Officer | Program Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Political Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between senior program officers' and program directors' demographics:
| Senior Program Officer | Program Director | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.8% Female, 56.2% | Male, 41.4% Female, 58.6% |
| 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, 8.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 14% | 14% |