What is an executive officer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
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An executive officer is responsible for effectively running an organization, with the exact duties depending on the nature of the establishment they manage. Executive officers may operate in different contexts from the army to various business, administrative, governmental, legal, or manufacturing enterprises.

Although ranking high on the corporate ladder, an executive is responsible for overseeing daily activities to make sure operations run smoothly, leaving the overall business goals and strategic planning to his/her or her superiors.

Salaries also vary depending on many factors, such as the industry you work for, the size of your company, and the range of responsibilities falling on you. But whatever the exact amount may be, as an executive officer you will be among the highest-earning personnel in the company.

ScoreExecutive OfficerUS Average
Salary
5.8

Avg. Salary $74,745

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
10.0

Growth Rate 6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
1.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.64%

Asian 7.45%

Black or African American 3.66%

Hispanic or Latino 7.52%

Unknown 3.88%

White 76.85%

Gender

female 23.85%

male 76.15%

Age - 52
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 52
Stress Level
10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
10.0

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
3.0

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

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Executive Officer career paths

Key steps to become an executive officer

  1. Explore executive officer education requirements

    Most common executive officer degrees

    Bachelor's

    71.1 %

    Master's

    17.1 %

    Associate

    7.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific executive officer skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Logistical Support16.46%
    Oversight10.73%
    Combat6.61%
    Human Resources4.52%
    Resource Management4.34%
  3. Research executive officer duties and responsibilities

    • Lead a twenty-three memberplatoon and are second-in-command of the 134-man company.
    • Manage the overall compliance of the station to USMEPCOM regulations, inter-service de-confliction, and international VIP visitation.
    • Manage a $250K budget and a 50,000 square foot facility that provides training to over 500 sailors each year.
    • Manage all the administrative areas of a 140-man battery and the maintenance of vehicles and equipment value at $10M.
  4. Get executive officer experience

    Generally, it takes more than 10 years to become an executive officer. The most common roles before becoming an executive officer include platoon leader, operations officer team lead and officer.
  5. Prepare your executive officer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your executive officer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an executive officer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Executive Officer Resume templates

    Build a professional Executive Officer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Executive Officer resume.
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  6. Apply for executive officer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an executive officer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Executive Officer Job

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Average executive officer salary

The average Executive Officer salary in the United States is $74,745 per year or $36 per hour. Executive officer salaries range between $41,000 and $135,000 per year.

Average Executive Officer Salary
$74,745 Yearly
$35.94 hourly

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How do executive officers rate their job?

-/5

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Executive Officer reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020
Cons

When things go amiss. Confusion, too many last minute changes that have the potential to ruin things.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019
Cons

It can be difficult to navigate through the ever changing market and competition as an independently owned business. I also have to spend a lot of time learning/teaching myself things that I need to know but could be spending my time on what i do best if I worked for another company such as web development and coding.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019
Pros

the opportunity to relate and meet with different people, the ability to solve problems on the go as they arise, and the fact that its people oriented

Cons

its time consuming,can be very stressful especially when they is a busy schedule


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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