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The differences between senior program officers and senior executives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a senior program officer, becoming a senior executive takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a senior executive has an average salary of $104,507, 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 senior executive are customer service, project management, and SR.
| Senior Program Officer | Senior Executive | |
| Yearly salary | $100,469 | $104,507 |
| Hourly rate | $48.30 | $50.24 |
| Growth rate | 8% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 117,953 | 74,894 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 40 | 49 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
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.
A senior executive is responsible for supporting the chief technology officer and other higher officials on implementing critical corporate decisions, especially on identifying business opportunities to extend business partnership scopes and drive more revenue resources, supporting the company's financial stability. Senior executives oversee departmental operations across the company, ensuring production efficiency and high-quality output deliverables. They may also handle operational budgets and allocate adequate resources to each department's head. A senior executive attends meetings and conferences with other executives, sharing updates with stakeholders, and strategizing project management processes.
Senior program officers and senior executives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Program Officer | Senior Executive | |
| Average salary | $100,469 | $104,507 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $146,000 | Between $63,000 And $172,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Hartford, CT |
| Highest paying state | California | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | Intuit |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a senior program officer and a senior executive in terms of educational background:
| Senior Program Officer | Senior Executive | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Political Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between senior program officers' and senior executives' demographics:
| Senior Program Officer | Senior Executive | |
| Average age | 40 | 49 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.8% Female, 56.2% | Male, 57.4% Female, 42.6% |
| 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, 7.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 5.0% White, 71.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 14% | 10% |