What is an owner and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted Expert
Laura Lott Valenti
introduction image

We know what you're thinking - as an owner, your only role is to hire people to run your company and then sit back and enjoy the view. Well, we're here to tell you that that's wishful thinking. While it'll probably pay off eventually, being an owner of a company is hard stuff.

Sure, you can still hire people to help carry out tasks, but you also need to be reviewing sales, coming up with marketing strategies, and even overseeing operations. The biggest role you have is finding new opportunities to grow or expand your business.

Many business owners who are just starting out typically work really long hours. It takes a lot of work to get an idea off the ground. In general, a 50-60-hour workweek isn't uncommon, especially in the beginning. Once the business takes off, then you can start to afford little luxuries, like working less hours.

What general advice would you give to an Owner?

L

Laura Lott ValentiLaura Lott Valenti LinkedIn Profile

Assistant Professor of Marketing John C. Daigle Endowed Professor, Nicholls State University

My advice is to find out what you're good at and then find a way to get paid for it. This requires students to partake in school activities, club leadership, and cool experiences (like sales competitions), as well as internships. The more students navigate through these opportunities, they are able to find their niche.
ScoreOwnerUS Average
Salary
7.1

Avg. Salary $90,334

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 7.50%

Black or African American 3.68%

Hispanic or Latino 7.59%

Unknown 3.88%

White 76.71%

Gender

female 36.89%

male 63.11%

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

Owner career paths

Key steps to become an owner

  1. Explore owner education requirements

    Most common owner degrees

    Bachelor's

    51.9 %

    Associate

    19.9 %

    High School Diploma

    11.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific owner skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Customer Service24.76%
    Payroll17.08%
    Financial Statements7.67%
    Product Development7.06%
    Real Estate3.42%
  3. Research owner duties and responsibilities

    • Manage web content and a PHP / MySQL application.
    • Create and develop a website to help clients easily manage their instagram account to gain exposure.
    • Execute all social media marketing and manage the company Facebook page/campaigns.
    • Manage human resource functions by generating payroll, scheduling and upholding company policies.
  4. Prepare your owner resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your owner 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 owner resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Owner Resume templates

    Build a professional Owner 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 Owner resume.
    Owner Resume
    Owner Resume
    Owner Resume
    Owner Resume
    Owner Resume
    Owner Resume
    Owner Resume
    Owner Resume
    Owner Resume
    Owner Resume
    Owner Resume
    Owner Resume
    Owner Resume
    Owner Resume
    Owner Resume
    Owner Resume
  5. Apply for owner jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an owner 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 Owner Job

Zippi

Are you an Owner?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average owner salary

The average Owner salary in the United States is $90,334 per year or $43 per hour. Owner salaries range between $60,000 and $135,000 per year.

Average Owner Salary
$90,334 Yearly
$43.43 hourly

What Am I Worth?

Loading...
Loading...
salary-calculator

How do owners rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Owner reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020
Pros

Meeting achieving and surpassing any goals needed to catipult a company that I can stand behind.

Cons

Lazy Phonies


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019
Pros

As a person who checks gauges for anything

Cons

Unprofessionalism and people who are not customer-oriented


Working as an Owner? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall Rating*
Career Growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

Owner FAQs

Search for owner jobs

Loading...
Loading...

Owner jobs by state

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.

Browse executive management jobs