Top Executives

What Top Executives Do

Top executives plan strategies and policies to ensure that an organization meets its goals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rSN2E1_aPQ

Work Environment

Top executives work in nearly every industry, for both small and large organizations. They often have irregular schedules, which may include working evenings and weekends. Travel is common, particularly for chief executives.

How to Become a Top Executive

Top executives typically need at least a bachelor’s degree and considerable work experience to enter the occupation.

Pay

The median annual wage for chief executives was $184,460 in May 2019.

The median annual wage for general and operations managers was $100,780 in May 2019.

Job Outlook

Overall employment of top executives is projected to grow 4 percent from 2019 to 2029, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Projected employment growth varies by occupation.

Top executives plan strategies and policies to ensure that an organization meets its goals. They coordinate and direct work activities of companies and organizations.

Duties

Top executives typically do the following:

• Establish and carry out departmental or organizational goals, policies, and procedures
• Direct and oversee an organization’s financial and budgetary activities
• Manage general activities related to making products and providing services
• Consult with other executives, staff, and board members about general operations
• Negotiate or approve contracts and agreements
• Appoint department heads and managers
• Analyze financial statements, sales reports, and other performance indicators
• Identify places to cut costs and to improve performance, policies, and programs

The responsibilities of top executives largely depend on an organization’s size. In small organizations, such as an independent retail store, an owner or manager often is responsible for hiring, training, quality control, and day-to-day supervisory duties. In large organizations, chief executives typically focus on formulating policies and planning strategies, while general and operations managers direct day-to-day operations.

The following are examples of types of top executives:

Chief executive officers (CEOs), who are also known by titles such as executive director, managing director, or president, provide overall direction for companies and organizations. CEOs manage company operations, formulate and implement policies, and ensure that goals are met. They collaborate with and direct the work of other top executives and typically report to a board of directors.

There may be other types of chief executives—such as chief operating officers (COOs), chief financial officers (CFOs), or chief human resources officers—who manage a specific part of the organization. The knowledge, skills, and job duties that these executives have differ, depending on which department they oversee.

General and operations managers oversee activities that are too diverse to be classified into one area of management or administration. Responsibilities may include formulating policies, directing daily operations, and planning the use of materials and human resources. These managers make staff schedules, assign work, and ensure that projects are completed. In some organizations, the tasks of chief executive officers may overlap with those of general and operations managers.

Mayors, city managers, county administrators, and governors are chief executive officers of governments. They usually oversee budgets, programs, and the use of resources. Mayors and governors must be elected to office, whereas managers and administrators are typically appointed.

School superintendents and college or university presidents are chief executive officers of school districts and postsecondary schools. They manage issues such as student achievement, budgets and resources, general operations, and relations with government agencies and other stakeholders.

Chief executives held about 287,900 jobs in 2019. The largest employers of chief executives were as follows:

Self-employed workers	24%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	11
Government	9
Healthcare and social assistance	7
Manufacturing	6

General and operations managers held about 2.5 million jobs in 2019. The largest employers of general and operations managers were as follows:

Retail trade	12%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	11
Wholesale trade	9
Manufacturing	9
Construction	7

Top executives work in nearly every industry. They work for both small and large organizations, ranging from businesses in which they are the sole employee to firms with hundreds or thousands of employees.

Because top executives often are held responsible for their organization’s success, their work may be stressful.

Top executives frequently travel to attend meetings and conferences or to visit local, regional, national, or international offices of interest.

Top executives often interact with other high-level executives, such as financial managers, human resource managers, or chief technology officers.

Work Schedules

Most top executives work full time, and many work more than 40 hours per week, including evenings and weekends.

This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of top executives.

	Occupation	Job Duties	Entry-Level Education	Median Annual Pay, May 2019
	Administrative Services Managers	Administrative services managers plan, direct, and coordinate activities that help an organization run efficiently.	Bachelor’s degree	$96,940
	Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers	Advertising, promotions, and marketing managers plan programs to generate interest in products or services.	Bachelor’s degree	$135,900
	Architectural and Engineering Managers	Architectural and engineering managers plan, direct, and coordinate activities in architectural and engineering companies.	Bachelor’s degree	$144,830
	Computer and Information Systems Managers	Computer and information systems managers plan, coordinate, and direct computer-related activities in an organization.	Bachelor’s degree	$146,360
	Construction Managers	Construction managers plan, coordinate, budget, and supervise construction projects from start to finish.	Bachelor’s degree	$95,260
	Financial Managers	Financial managers create financial reports, direct investment activities, and develop plans for the long-term financial goals of their organization.	Bachelor’s degree	$129,890
	Human Resources Managers	Human resources managers plan, coordinate, and direct the administrative functions of an organization.	Bachelor’s degree	$116,720
	Industrial Production Managers	Industrial production managers oversee the daily operations of manufacturing and related plants.	Bachelor’s degree	$105,480
	Medical and Health Services Managers	Medical and health services managers plan, direct, and coordinate the business activities of healthcare providers.	Bachelor’s degree	$100,980
	Sales Managers	Sales managers direct organizations’ sales teams.	Bachelor’s degree	$126,640

For more information about top executives, including educational programs, visit

American Management Association

National Management Association

For more information about executive financial management careers, visit

Financial Executives International

Financial Management Association International

CareerOneStop

For career videos on top executives, visit

Chief Executives

O*NET

Chief Executives

Chief Sustainability Officers

General and Operations Managers